


The Potioneer's Assistant

by Kgfinkel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Mentor Severus Snape, Potions Master Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:14:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 71,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27448450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kgfinkel/pseuds/Kgfinkel
Summary: When young Harry Potter meets Ms. Belinda Honeybloom on the first day of school, he realizes there's so much more than just chores and a cupboard under the stairs. He's gifted a diary and with a whole new world of magic, he discovers new things and creates a magical interactive potions journal. Smart!Harry AD/RW/DM bash, Mentor!Snape, Delusional!Dumbledore, AU
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 22
Kudos: 171





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray into fan fiction writing that involves actual research before typing and posting so if something seems 'off,' please allow me some leeway. My style does improve over time (as do we all)!

# The Potioneer’s Assistant

#  **Tuesday 1 September 1987 St. Grogory’s Primary School**

“Good morning, class! My name is Miss Honeybloom and I will be your Primary Three teacher.”

Harry Potter could barely keep his eyes open. He didn’t have a good night sleep or even a good breakfast. His aunt and uncle along with his cousin kept him up all night preparing for today. His uncle had him washing his car inside and out then had him clean out the garage and sweep the front porch. His aunt then had him tend to the backyard’s hedges and bushes. His cousin just got in the way and slowed him down which inevitably led to Harry getting punished by his aunt and uncle for being “lazy.”

He tried to keep up with the other students but gravity took hold of his head and he fell asleep at his desk. When the other kids went out to play at recess, Miss Honeybloom asked him to stay inside with her.

“Harry? Is there a reason why you couldn’t stay awake in my class? Am I that boring?” she asked gently.

Harry just looked at his feet and shook his head negatively.

“Harry, please look at me.” He raised his head and looked at his teacher.

Belinda Honeybloom gazed into his luminous green eyes. She could see the hurt and anguish behind them and made the personal decision to help and damn the consequences! She knew who Harry was, she knew what happened to his parents and made the decision to help the little boy who lost his parents to a madman. For Miss Honeybloom had a secret; she was a witch.

“You know that you have your mother’s eyes, Harry?” she inquired of him.

Harry’s eyes immediately focused in on what she had said, “Y-you knew my mother?” he stammered.

“Mm-hmm…she was a couple of years older than me when we went to school together but I could never forget those eyes. She was an uncommonly wonderful person, smart as all get out, friendly to a fault until someone triggered her temper…Heh, and what a temper! She was known to frighten upperclassmen into submission even as a First Year.”

Harry listened in wide-eyed rapture as Miss Honeybloom reminisced about his mother, father, their friends and the magical world. She showed him her wand and performed some basic magic tricks like lighting the end of it using a _Lumos_ Charm, transfiguring a small frog from a rubber eraser and making bubbles appear.

“Miss Honeybloom? Do you know why I have to live with my aunt and uncle? They hate anything to do with magic. They…they say it’s not real. I’ve had dreams…”

“Yes, Harry?” When he hesitated again, “I promise that you and I will still be friends and that this conversation will not reach your relatives.”

“I’ve dreamt about a black haired man with a dog-like bark of a laugh riding a flying motorcycle, a huge man with a booming voice, glittering beetle black eyes and a scratchy beard. I sort of remember a woman with reddish hair…”

Belinda was in tears as Harry related his dreams. She gave him a brief hug and said to him, “Harry, I’m sure that those dreams of yours are real. The man with the motorcycle? His name is Sirius Black. He’s a bit of a scoundrel but otherwise a good man and close friend of your parents. The huge man with the scratchy beard sounds a lot like Rubeus Hagrid; he’s the gamekeeper for the school we went to. Both men are good people though from what I heard, Sirius Black got himself into trouble after that Halloween and ended up in prison… I’m sorry, Harry.”

Harry sniffed and wiped his eyes but nodded.

“I’ll tell you what. How about every recess during this year, you and I have a little chat about what I know about your family and their friends as well as tell you about their world and school? Would you like that?” She asked smiling, hoping to put a bit of cheer back on his face.

“Yes, please.” He responded quietly with a pleading look on his face.

Recess ended and Miss Honeybloom went to go collect her students. The rest of the day was uneventful. His cousin, Dudley, tried to get Harry in trouble a few times but Belinda Honeybloom was no fool. She quietly separated the two boys and gently reprimanded Dudley for tattling.

* * *

#  **Thursday 3 September 1987 Headmaster’s Office, St. Grogory’s Primary School**

“Ah, Belinda. So glad you could come. We need to have a chat regarding two of your students.”

“Yes, sir. Which two students are you referring to?”

“Dudley Dursley and Harry Potter. I’ve just received a telephone call from Mr. Dursley’s parents saying that you punished their son for telling you about Mr. Potter’s delinquent behavior. I must say that sort of action against the lad is most unbecoming.”

Belinda gave her boss a quizzical look, “To what action am I being accused of?”

“Well, according to Mr. Dursley, senior; you verbally assaulted their son in front of the other students and isolated him from his friends.”

Belinda let out a frustrated sigh; she could see just where this was leading.

“Sir, all I did was to put each boy on opposite sides of the room so they couldn’t interact with each other. I quietly told young Dudley that it was wrong to accuse Harry of cheating off of him during the math test.”

The Headmaster gave her a patronizing look and shook his head condescendingly,

“Belinda. The Dursley’s are our most prominent and well-liked family in the area. I’ve met their son before and he’s quite the little gentleman. The Potter boy on the other hand, is a known troublemaker and from what I’ve heard is a criminal in the making. It would be best if you were to restrict your activities to just teaching and let me handle the punishments for any infractions.”

Belinda was incensed at her boss’ actions and words. She normally would’ve never done what she was about to do, but sometimes…

She pulled out her wand from her bag and cast an _Obliviate_ at the Headmaster.

“You will forget every nasty thing you’ve ever heard about Harry Potter and refocus that negativity at the Dursley family. Vernon Dursley is a liar and a bigot with whom you desire no contact. Petunia Dursley is a gossiping busybody with delusions of adequacy with whom you resent and despise. Dudley Dursley is a juvenile delinquent who needs a firm hand in his education and discipline. You will leave Harry Potter alone and treat him like you would any other student in this school.”

The Headmaster’s eyes had glazed over when she cast the charm and when she was done, he took a deep breath, blinked and looked around before settling back upon her.

“Oh! Belinda. I’m sorry, I must have dozed off before our meeting.”

“No problem, sir.”

“Yes, well. I think we need to discuss the problem growing with young Mr. Dursley. His behavior towards others is most unbecoming…”

When Belinda left the Headmaster’s office and headed back to her classroom, a man and woman in trench coats intercepted her in the hallway.

“Miss Belinda Honeybloom?” asked the woman.

“Yes?”

The man surreptitiously pulled out a badge that read, ‘Ministry for Magic, Muggle Affairs Division, Obliviator Squad.’ “We detected a burst of magic in this area. Is there a problem?”

Belinda let out a sigh of relief, “Not anymore. I had to use my wand to fend off a condescending bastard of a Muggle. I am fine and things have been resolved. Thank you for showing up.”

Both the man and woman nodded and wished her well then left.

* * *

#  ** Friday 30 October 1987 Godric’s Hollow, West Country, England **

Belinda Honeybloom worked with Harry closely over the next two months getting him to open up about his relationship with his relatives. She made careful notes about each event and made copies to be stored in a secure vault. She had heard that the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had taken a personal interest in Harry but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why. The man’s interest in Harry tripped enough personal alarms that she undertook many precautions.

One of the things she noticed about Harry was that he showed no interest in celebrating the upcoming Halloween costume party that had the other students in thrall and excitement. She understood why and decided that the best way to help him would be to sit him down and discuss his feelings and memories.

“Harry? I think I may have a solution for you. How would you like to take a ride with me this weekend after school to go visit where you were born and lived? It might give you a bit of closure after that night.”

Harry thought about the offer and accepted it.

“Could…could we go visit where they are buried?” he asked.

Belinda nodded, “I think that would be best. Then after that, we’ll stay at my house until Saturday morning when I’ll take you home, unless there’s somewhere else you’d like to visit?” Harry shook his head no.

So that Friday after school, Belinda and Harry drove first to the Dursley’s residence where Belinda had Harry stand in front of the house. She waved her wand and spoke quietly. Harry glowed for a moment then when it faded; she motioned for him to get back in the car. They then drove to Godric’s Hollow and parked near a little church. As they were driving, Harry asked her what it was that she did back at the Dursley’s. She told him that she had checked him for what was known as a Tracking Charm. She had found one and used her wand to move it to the mailbox so no one would be the wiser. They walked around town looking through the windows of the shops and eventually came across the Potter’s cottage. The roof on one side looked like it had barely survived an explosion, one whole wall had been blown out. The yard was unkempt and weedy; the gate was padlocked shut. The windows were grimy and the whole place had an air of great sadness.

Harry put his hand on the gate but jumped back in surprise when a signpost grew up out of the dirt like a fast-growing flower. There was an inscription on the plaque:

_‘This house has been preserved in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters and as a reminder of the violence that tore apart their family.’_

There were a lot of graffiti on the plaque, written by well-wishers and family friends. Belinda read off as many as she could read. Eventually, it got to be too much for Harry and the two of them left to find the graveyard. They entered through the side gate and wandered amongst the grave markers. They saw various names like ‘Abbott, Peverell, Dumbledore (Belinda was surprised at that) and a few others that were recognizable from her years at Hogwarts.

Eventually, the two found his parents’ gravestone. Engraved on the face was his mom and dad’s names, their birth and death dates and an inscription below which read:

_‘The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death.’_

“What does that mean, Miss Honeybloom?” Harry sniffled.

“Basically it means living beyond Death. Living within the hearts and minds of friends and family. As long as you always remember them, they’re not truly dead.”

They spent some time there in front of his parents’ graves where Harry ‘talked’ to his parents and told them all about his life so far. He told them how nice Miss Honeybloom was, what he learned in school and even talked about what his life with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia was like. She, in turn, vowed to keep him safe, happy and as educated about the magical world as best she could.

They eventually gave their goodbyes and drove back to Belinda’s house.

* * *

#  **Friday 25 December 1987**

Over the next two months since that Halloween night, Miss Honeybloom had made it her mission to teach Harry the basics of magic and even bought him a few books to hide in his room. One of the books that most interested him was his _Basics of Potions_ , which covered the introductions of ingredients, safety practices, brewing techniques and some simple recipes to follow. The other book that he had received was a blank journal so that way he could record his successes and failures in brewing as well as anything else that caught his attention. The final gift she got for him was a set of colored pencils. She mentioned that there was a marketplace in London called Diagon Alley that sold just about anything he would need for his brewing experiments. She recommended that he not try to go there himself as he was too easily recognizable and could cause a bit of a ruckus. She told him that if he needed anything, to let her know and she’d pick them up for him.

In the guise of educating her class in what she called, “World Cultures Month,” Belinda Honeybloom touched briefly on the “History of Magic,” the history behind and how to make “Potions” such as how to identify ingredients, properly prepare and brew them to create different colors. She taught her students the history behind and how to read and write “Runes.” She gave the students assignments written in runes and they had to decipher what was written. They also learned how to write their names using runes. Each student then made a small plaque with their names on it and hung it on their lockers. Those who did the best on the assignments won a small trophy.

She taught them what she called “Herbology” and “Arithmancy.” She taught Herbology and Potions side by side explaining the importance to each other. The students learned how to identify the different seeds or cuttings, how to cultivate and grow herbs and flowers, and learned how to prepare them for their “potions.” She would dress up as a famous character from the period and give a lecture on how it was used to benefit the population of Great Britain. Parents were concerned at first when they heard from their children about the strange but fun classes and came in to see what this innovative education plan was about and were pleasantly surprised when included in the lesson plan. The other parents and their kids thought it was just a lot of fun and games but Harry knew the truth.

* * *

While he couldn’t brew anything at the Dursley’s, Miss Honeybloom had encouraged him to come to her house on the weekends to work on his potions there in safety and comfort. She had a wonderful backyard garden full of plants, a small pond that was stocked with all manner of interesting aquatic creatures that were just waiting for him to explore and experiment with. He dutifully wrote down all of the descriptions of each plant along with hand-drawn images then colored them in with the set of colored pencils he had received for Christmas. He was in the middle of drawing a rendition of Snowblossoms when Belinda found him.

“Harry? Oh, there you are.” Belinda commented, “I was wondering if you were hungry? It’s almost lunchtime.”

“Yes, please. I’d like to finish this up first though.” He replied.

“Ok, just make sure to wash your hands before eating.” Harry nodded in reply before turning back to his journal.

When Belinda and Harry returned back to the Dursley’s, his aunt was waiting for him at the door with a scowl on her face.

“Where have you been, boy?” she quietly sneered at him, “You were supposed to be home earlier to make Christmas dinner for us.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Dursley,” apologized Belinda, “it was my doing. I had Harry here help me with some projects around my house and we lost track of time.”

Petunia just sniffed haughtily and let Harry into the house before turning back to Belinda,“Make sure if it does happen again, that you have the decency to call us.” She then closed the door in Belinda’s face.


	2. Chapter 2

#  **Monday 18 April 1988 St. Grogory’s Primary School**

Springtime was upon the students of St. Grogory’s and Harry was taking full advantage of it. With the help of Miss Honeybloom, he and his classmates discovered the wondrous bounty of flowers and shrubbery that grew in the school’s garden and grounds. They had learned to identify the names and characteristics of each plant and used the knowledge to play the game of _I Spy_. The students used crayons (or for those who had them, colored pencils) to draw out the different plants they found. Harry was in his element as he led his team to victory in finding the most number of flowers before lunchtime. His cousin Dudley had been transferred to a different teacher and therefore no longer caused trouble for Harry in class. Once at lunchtime, however…

“Hey, runt!! Get over here!” Harry heard Dudley yelling and took off running towards the school’s cafeteria. He was halfway between the building and the fence when he suddenly felt a crushing pressure and for a moment, everything went black.

Dudley and his gang gave chase but eventually called it off, as they couldn’t find him anymore. Harry in the meantime had come to; he opened his eyes and looked around in surprise as he was now on the roof of the cafeteria!

 _How in the world did I get up here? Is this part of the magic Miss Honeybloom has mentioned?_ Harry eventually figured out how to get down off the roof without anyone spotting him and went in search of his teacher.

“Miss Honeybloom? Something weird just happened to me,” he began, “I was being chased by Dudley and his gang over by the cafeteria when I suddenly found myself on the roof! Do you have any idea how that happened?”

“Hmmm…sounds like a bout of accidental apparition, Harry. It happens sometimes especially when a child is stressed. You said that Dudley and his gang were chasing you? Why?”

“Dunno, not like they need a reason to hate me or anything,” he grumbled.

“Ok, Harry. Why don’t you get washed up and just stay here in class. Lunchtime is almost over anyway. I’ll just go speak to the Headmaster about Dudley.” Belinda replied.

Belinda went down to the Headmaster’s office to complain about another incident regarding Harry and Dudley. She ‘suggested’, through the subtle use of magic, that Dudley should be suspended for a couple of days for fighting with another student and for a disciplinary mark to be put in his school record. The Headmaster complied and left to have Vernon and Petunia called in to discuss the problem.

* * *

Later in the week, Harry was lying on the grass at the neighborhood park reading his Potions journal. He wished there was a way to take the ingredients listed within and “create” a potion within the pages without the need to buy and use any actual ingredients. He figured it would save time, money and be a heck of a lot safer if in case the ingredients or the potion itself was dangerous in any way. Shrugging, he made an entry on the pages to research his idea further at some point in the future.

“Harry? What are you doing here?” came a familiar voice. He looked up from his journal to see Mrs. Figg, his neighbor and occasional babysitter walking up the hill towards him, dragging her ever-present wire cart.

“Oh, hello Mrs. Figg. I was just enjoying the spring air and sunshine. I like being outside as there’s always something I can draw and write about to put in my journal,” he said happily.

“That’s nice, dear. What sort of things do you put in your journal, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Mostly descriptions and drawing of plants and flowers I come across. I also put down my ideas on various things.”

“Hmm-mmm. That’s good, dear. I’m glad to hear that. Just make sure you get home on time.” She responded with a slightly distracted air before leaving.

Harry watched her leave briefly before shrugging and returning to his musings.

* * *

#  **Saturday 25 June 1988 Dursley Residence**

It was the start of summer vacation and Harry had already been loaded down with all the chores in and around the house; he had to cook the meals and wash the dishes then go outside and complete an impossible list of yard work. At the end of each night, he entered his tiny cupboard under the stairs exhausted by the day’s efforts.

Before going to sleep one night, he perused through his potion’s textbooks as well as his journal. He wanted to find out if there was a potion that would confuse his relatives into thinking that he had already completed his list of chores so he could have some time to himself. He found the _Confusing Concoction_ as well as a _Forgetfulness Potion_ , both seemed fairly complicated to make. He made it a point to remember to go over to Miss Honeybloom’s house to make these recipes.

The next morning, he trekked over to Belinda’s house and asked her if she could help with both potions.

“Why do you need to learn those potions, Harry? Has something happened?” she asked worriedly.

Harry scuffed the ground with his shoe, “My aunt and uncle always give me a lot of chores to do and never give any to Dudley. I was hoping to give them a dose of one of these potions to make them forget to give me so much work to do. I’m always so exhausted at the end of the day.”

Belinda hummed in agreement, “Then let’s get started, shall we? I think it was a good idea you had there.” Harry gave her a small smile in return.

By the time summer had ended, Harry had perfected both recipes as well as figuring out how to target specific memories that he wanted his aunt and uncle to either forget or be confused about. He even got Dudley to forget about being such a bully and to assist in the chores around the house.

* * *

#  **Thursday 1 September 1988 St. Grogory’s Primary School**

It was the start of another year of primary school. Harry was saddened by the thought that Miss Honeybloom was no longer his teacher and confided in her that he was going to miss being in her class. She assured him that even though she was no longer his teacher; she would still like to meet with him to discuss his latest works and thoughts. She asked him about his summer vacation and listened in amusement as Harry described the results of the _Confusing Concoctions_ and _Forgetfulness Potion_ and the trial study on his relatives. She warned him about using the potions too often as they could be poisoned and he’d be in trouble.

Harry related some of the more amusing situations and events of the experiments such as spiking some candy and giving it to Dudley so he’d forget that he wasn’t wearing any trousers before going outside to meet up with his friends, or the time when he successfully confused his uncle into thinking that he and his sister were actually married to each other by mixing the potion into their food. Belinda thought both events were hilarious.

Harry mentioned to her about his idea of turning his journal into an interactive device that would allow him to copy all the information of his Potions and Herbology texts into his journal and allow him to “create” potions without the need of handling any actual ingredients. She didn’t know how to do anything like that but she did know that Robert Cody, who was one of the two Primary Five teachers for the school, came from a magical family and might be persuaded to help with the more advanced topics.

* * *

The next week, Belinda and Harry met up with Mr. Cody to discuss Harry’s predicament and ideas. It turned out that Robert Cody was a Squib, a non-magical person born to an all-magical family. He couldn’t perform the usual ‘wand-waving type of magic’ but his family was sympathetic enough to find a tutor that would teach him Arithmancy and Ancient Runes as well as the Theory of Charms and some muggle subjects in the hopes of giving their son a better shot of surviving out in the world.

“Well, let’s see what you have here, Mr. Potter. Yes, I see that you’ve laid out the basic ideas for this interactive journal. Clever idea too, I must say.” Mr. Cody said.

“Is my idea possible sir?” Harry asked hopefully.

“I dare say so. We will start with a brand new journal so that, if it fails, it doesn’t destroy all of your hard work with this one. I can see that there’s a lot of work and detail in this one. Miss Honeybloom has told me that she taught your class some basics in Arithmancy and Runes?” Harry nodded, “That’s good, it’ll make it easier for me to explain and assist.”

Robert said he would like to take a bit of time to think about how to implement Harry’s ideas and would get back with by at least the end of the month. Harry and Belinda agreed. Harry asked Miss Honeybloom if she could take a look around Diagon Alley to pick up some new ingredients and to see if there were any new potion books. She promised to take a look the next time she was there.

* * *

#  **Friday 28 October 1988 Robert Cody’s classroom, St. Grogory’s Primary School**

The three had met up again at the start of October to discuss Harry’s idea about making an interactive Potions journal. Mr. Cody said that the best way to go about this was to emulate a system that was already available. He introduced them to the computer and a database program. He explained how each worked and why it was so important for the future.

Mr. Cody had then consulted with some of his muggleborn and squib friends who worked in the computer manufacturing industry and together they figured out how to shrink the computer core down to the size and thickness of a matchbook. He helped Harry use his basic knowledge of Runes, Arithmancy and Charms to create a simple protective shield around the miniaturized computer loaded with a database program. The reason for this was that magic had the tendency to fry the electronics of any electrical device.

Harry, Mr. Cody and his friends then took the new journal; inscribed the protection runes around the computer core to create a “null-space;” tied it into a power rune that would absorb the ambient magic and reroute it to the core in a suitable format. Then they used a specialized runic array similar to the Protean Charm to transfer the data from the program to the pages of the journal and back again. It took nearly a month of diligent work before they were able to get the journal to copy a previously written piece of paper containing Harry’s description of a daisy and transfer it to a page within the book. From there, they proceeded to fill the journal with more of Harry’s writings and potion recipes.

With a bit of tweaking of the runic arrays and Arithmancy, they were able to copy pictures of the various plants and tie them into their proper locations and descriptions. Next, the two of them figured out how to use the database to “create” a potion. They used the Arithmancy to assign a value to each ingredient or technique rather than try to have the journal use the actual description of the item. They developed a safety feature that highlighted the incorrect or dangerous combination of values and give a reason why.

Belinda had a brilliant idea while helping develop the journal. It took a bit of time to figure out how to do it but in the end, it was a stroke of genius. Since they were living in the muggle world with all of their advances in medicine and technology, it would be beneficial to find a muggle alternative to the potions that the magical world knew. Not only would it be faster to procure but also a heck of a lot cheaper!

* * *

One of the final projects was to incorporate an index for quick searching within the pages and pages of documentation. This cut down on the time it took to find the proper ingredient or technique. Throughout all the stages, Harry and Miss Honeybloom worked on creating a user’s manual to describe and teach the operations of the journal. Belinda also floated the idea that maybe Harry ought to use a fake name to publish under, as he would want the journal to be taken seriously. By the start of the Christmas holidays, everything had been completed.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Cody and Miss Honeybloom!” Harry gushed as he flipped through the book, which had been dubbed “ _The Potioneer’s Assistant_.”

“It was our pleasure, Harry. It’s been wonderful working with a student who enjoys learning and experimentation. It should be of great help when you go to Hogwarts. Have you thought more about the idea to publish this idea so others could benefit?” Mr. Cody asked.

“Yes, and I think that would be a great idea. I do have one concern though. If I publish, wouldn’t that just allow others to steal my idea and claim it as their own?” Harry said.

“Hmm…the more unscrupulous potioneers maybe, but I think that the methods we used to create it would be too difficult to reproduce unless you’re familiar with the concept of computers and databases. Oh, have you thought about which fake name you want to use?” Mr. Cody mused.

“Uh-huh. I want to use ‘Harold Talbot’ as my fake name. The first name is the proper version of mine and the last name is in reference to a famous wizard of the sixteenth century. I’ve also want to tie it in with my real name into the ‘ _Assistant_ ’ so there’s no question later.” Harry replied.

“Good lad. Okay then, I’ll do the typing so you don’t have to and then we’ll send it in to get published.”

By February, Harry, Miss Honeybloom and Mr. Cody had fine-tuned the article as well as make a few adjustments to the ‘Assistant.’ Robert then used his family contacts to publish the article to the review board of “ _Potioneer’s Monthly_.”


	3. Chapter 3

#  **Wednesday 15 March 1989 Reptile House, London Zoo**

Harry’s Primary Four teacher had decided that it would be a treat for her students to take a trip to the zoo for being so well behaved over the past couple of months. Harry and his friends were quietly responsible for this. They had implied to the troublemakers-in-training that their teacher was actually a witch and that if they caused any trouble then she’d cut them up and use them in her potions! Needless to say, it nipped a whole lot of potential problems in the bud…

Harry’s friends, as it turned out, were either Squibs from other magical families in the area or muggleborns; that is a magical child from non-magical families. Harry had often wondered if the two groups had considered switching their children to make it easier on themselves in their respective worlds. He shared this idea with both Miss Honeybloom and Mr. Cody to which both chuckled and told him that it wasn’t a new idea. Over the years, there had been many attempts to do such a thing but it never really panned out.

* * *

After visiting the lion exhibit, Harry and his class entered the cool interior of the Reptile House. They saw many different snakes, lizards and amphibians. Harry stopped suddenly as he heard a plaintive cry for help.

“ _I’m sssooo lonely! This water smells bad.”_

Harry listened carefully and followed the voice until he came across a small snake in a tropical enclosure.

Without thinking or even noticing, Harry spoke to the little snake,

“ _Hello, little snake. Why are you crying?”_

The snake looked up at Harry in shock, “ _You can Speak! Oh, Speaker, I’m so lonely. My kind is not supposed to be alone while small. We are supposed to live within small groups for safety until we get large enough to fend for ourselves.”_

Harry read the inscription on the side of the tank and saw that it was a highly venomous banded snake from South America. He looked at the latch and figured out how to undo it. He reached in and gently lifted the snake out and let it wrap itself around his wrist.

” _Are you a boy or a girl?”_ Harry asked.

“ _I am a female, Speaker.”_ She replied, “ _Are you going to keep me?”_

“ _Well, first we’re going to find the Keeper of this house and get you some fresh water then we’ll see if I can. Most likely not, though. My nestmates don’t like other creatures in their den.”_

Harry went in search of the Keeper of the Reptile House and found him speaking to Harry’s class about the lizards of Madagascar. The Keeper noticed Harry approaching in the corner of his eye holding up his arm. When Harry got close enough, he realized that the boy had a venomous snake wrapped around his wrist!

“Ahhh! Lad, I want you to stay calm and not make any sudden movements. Everyone else, I want you to back away slowly.”

Harry’s classmates and teacher were shocked and a little scared about his predicament. His teacher especially; if Harry was bitten this would look very bad for her and would get her into serious trouble.

“Harry, let the Keeper take that snake away. You don’t want to get bitten now do you?” She asked nervously.

“I’m not worried about that, ma’am, she’s friendly. I’m more concerned why she was locked in a small tank without her nestmates and why her water smelled so bad. She told me that at her size, she and her nestmates normally group together for safety. She’s lonely and wanted some friends.”

The Keeper had calmed down and was curious despite the situation; he had heard the legends of people who could speak to snakes.

“The two of you can speak to each other? You understand her?” Harry nodded, “Could you say something in the snake language?”

Harry glanced at the snake who gave him a flip of her tail in a snake’s version of a shrug, “ _I suppose we could. I have no idea about what to say to him. I guess you should tell me what you know to be true about living as a snake and I can translate.”_

The Keeper and Harry’s class was shocked to hear the sounds of hissing coming from Harry mouth. It was apparent to everyone that he wasn’t just making simple hissy noises but actually speaking!

“Harry? Could you explain to us how you know this language?” inquired his teacher who had calmed down as well during the conversation.

“I don’t know ma’am. I’ve always been able to speak it in the presence of reptiles. I usually tell the ones in my aunt’s garden to stay clear of the area because she’s liable to kill them on sight.” Harry explained.

“It is a very rare gift, young man,” explained the Keeper, “I’ve heard legends and stories about other people who have this ability. I think it’s a good thing to have and cultivate. If you were ever to think about becoming a reptile keeper like myself, it would be greatly beneficial. Now, you said that she said that her water bowl smelled bad? Let’s fix that now, shall we?”

Harry was unable to keep the little snake but was invited to come back as often as he could to visit with her and to translate any problems that she might encounter. The Keeper promised him that the zoo would do what it could to get some nestmates for the little snake to keep her company.

* * *

When Harry and his classmates returned to school, their teacher decided that it would be a good idea to hold a lesson on the different languages from around the world. She instructed all of them to pick a different language from another country and they would study it and try to learn how to say simple greetings and questions like, ‘Excuse me. I’m lost. Can you help me find my parents?’ Harry naturally chose his snake language but since there were no books on the subject, nor were there anyone else who knew how to speak it, it was decided that he should pick another language. His teacher did encourage him to practice speaking and to bring in small snakes and lizards so they all could learn from them.

The animals brought in by Harry were a big hit with the students, they learned how to view the world through the eyes of snakes, turtles, and frogs and how to care for the environment so the creatures could thrive. Subjects such as conservation, environmentalism and recycling were discussed and simple ideas were implemented.

By the time that Harry reached Primary Five and got into Mr. Cody’s class, he had taught his friends and other classmates how to at least understand the snake language even though none of them could speak it. He and his magical friends, even the Squibs, had made a pact not to tell their families. They knew that Harry’s snake speaking ability was not trusted in the magical world and the community would shun him. Harry didn’t want that so they kept it quiet.

* * *

#  **Tuesday 11 April 1989 Mr. Cody’s Classroom, St. Grogory’s Primary School**

Harry had been called into Mr. Cody’s classroom and found the teacher smiling proudly.

“Harry! Good news! The latest issue of _‘Potioneer’s Monthly’_ just came out and your article was published! Congratulations, young man. You’re now famous for a good reason, not that junk about being The-Boy-Who-Lived.” He explained that the reason why it took so long to actually be published was that the review board had to educate themselves in the concepts written about in the article.

Robert handed over the magazine to Harry. He quickly read the reviews and practically floated off the ground to see that it was widely acclaimed to be the best new work in a long time and would greatly benefit the magical world’s future potioneers. He couldn’t wait to show Miss Honeybloom!

* * *

#  **Monday 15 July 1991 Dursley Residence**

Time had passed and Harry’s life had taken a definitive upswing with the relationship between his relatives and himself. He had found and brewed the _Calming Draught_ as well as a number of other mood-altering potions to keep his aunt and uncle in line. As a matter of course he learned how to subtly train them through the use of his potions to gradually accept him into the family and not treat him as a slave. He now had a wardrobe of comfortable clothes, proper glasses and got to eat at the family table along with everyone else. He still cooked the meals but he didn’t mind that as he did enjoy it, but now Petunia would join in to ease the burden. He had even gotten them to see the wisdom of giving Harry the spare bedroom on the second floor. There would never be love in the house but there would be acceptance.

* * *

That morning, while everyone was enjoying his or her breakfast, the morning mail arrived. Harry was sent to retrieve it and when he picked up the stack, he found an envelope with his name on it. He handed the rest of the mail to his uncle and started opening his letter. In the corner of his eye, he noticed that Aunt Petunia was glancing at him nervously.

“Is there a problem, Aunt Petunia?” he asked.

“It-It’s just that envelope contains something that I really wish had never happened in this house.” She replied nervously.

Upon opening the letter, Harry read, _“Dear Mr. Potter, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…”_

After he finished reading, Harry nodded once and put down the letter to quietly finish his breakfast. Vernon and Petunia looked at each other then back at Harry.

“Umm…Harry?” began Vernon, “You understand what that letter means?”

“Yes, sir I do. I’ve been expecting it since my third year in primary school.”

Vernon raised an eyebrow in surprise, “Care to share?”

Harry let out a quiet sigh, “Miss Honeybloom is a witch who came back to the non-magical world to teach because she couldn’t find work in the magical world. She’s what’s known as a ‘muggleborn.’ That’s a magical child born to a non-magical family. According to her, it’s very difficult for the muggleborn to find a decently paying job there due to racial tensions and whatnot. She introduced me to the basics of magic, its history and a general history of my family name. She was friends with my mother during their time at Hogwarts.”

Petunia was surprised at this revelation but didn’t say anything.

“Then I found out that my Primary Five teacher is also from that community though he’s what’s known as a Squib, that is a non-magical person born to a magical family. That’s the opposite of a muggleborn like Miss Honeybloom. Together, they’ve taught me what I needed to learn to re-enter the magical world and also the basics of what I’d need to enjoy my time at Hogwarts.” He didn’t need or want to tell his aunt and uncle about his magical friends.

“I need to write back to the school and let them know that I will be attending. Excuse, me.” So he grabbed a pen and wrote on a piece of paper his acceptance. He stepped outside and spotted an owl waiting in one of the trees.

“I have the return response for Hogwarts here.” He called out.

The owl dropped down out of the tree and glided over to him. He attached the note to the owl’s leg and wished it a safe journey.

Upon reentering the house, Petunia asked him if he knew where he needed to go to pick up his supplies. Harry nodded.

“Yes, Aunt Petunia. The entrance is through a dingy pub called _The Leaky Cauldron_ on Charing Cross Road in London. I can take the bus there if you’re too busy.”

“I think that would be best, your uncle and I still need to take Dudley to get his supplies for his new school and won’t have the time.”

So Harry gathered up his jacket, a hat to hide his scar, his ‘ _Assistant’_ and some spare change and caught the next bus into London. He arrived at _The Leaky Cauldron_ just past noon and entered the pub.

Once inside, he paused to let his eyes adjust to the dark, smoky interior then made his way up to the bartender.

“Excuse me, sir. I need to access the Alley but don’t have my wand yet. Would you let me through?” he asked politely.

* * *

The bartender nodded and opened the portal behind the pub. Harry thanked him and made his way to the bank. Miss Honeybloom had once said that all the magical money was to be found there and had instructed him on the proper method of dealing with the bank workers. She had said that they were a warrior race of people known as Goblins. They prided themselves on being punctual and had little patience for those who weren’t or were nasty in nature. Once through the doors, he walked up to an open teller and waited to be acknowledged.

“What do you want wizard?” The teller sneered.

“Well met, Teller. My name is Harry Potter and I wish to have an audience with my family’s account manager if he has the time. I don’t have my key with me but you may take a sample of my blood.” He stated and held out his hand.

The teller was surprised at the level of respect given to him by such a young human and in the proper format. It was rare to find such things amongst the wand wavers. He took a dagger and drew a drop of Harry’s blood and applied it to a special parchment, which correctly identified him as Harry Potter and gave the name of the family account manager.

“Wait over there and I’ll send word to the account manager.” The teller said, motioning towards a seating area.

“Thank you, Teller. May your enemies’ gold continue to flow into your vaults.” Harry gave a short bow and moved over to the waiting area.

* * *

A short time later, a younger Goblin arrived to escort Harry through the back halls to his account manager. His escort knocked on the door that read, ‘Potter Family Account Manager, Sharpclaw.” They were bid to enter and the younger Goblin motioned to Harry to precede him in.

“Young Mr. Potter. Thank you for being so timely.” Spoke Sharpclaw.

Harry bowed before the Goblin and greeted him in the appropriate manner.

“Nice to see that at least one of your kind was taught manners. Have a seat and let’s begin, shall we?”

Sharpclaw opened a folder and sorted out some parchment before turning to Harry, “I need to know why you’ve never responded to our communications before, Mr. Potter.”

“Pardon me, sir but I’ve never received anything from the magical world prior to my Hogwarts acceptance letter.” Harry responded politely. Sharpclaw raised an eyebrow at this.

“Curious. Illegal but curious. Then it would appear that someone has put a mail redirection ward either on you or your place of residence.”

Harry thought for a moment then asked, “Is it possible to use another name in care of mine so I can get my mail? I’ve used another name to correspond with “ _Potioneer’s Monthly.”_ I’m the co-author and co-creator of ‘ _The Potioneer’s Assistant’_ and regularly send in articles describing the latest upgrades and helpful hints and techniques.”

“What name have you been using then?” asked Sharpclaw, “it might help.”

“Harold Talbot, sir” Sharpclaw nodded and made an entry into his documentation.

“In the meantime, I have here the latest account statement of your family’s holdings and earnings. Upon your birth, your father opened a Trust Vault for your use while in school and for general entertainment. You will not be able to access the main family account until you reach your people’s age of majority, which at last reckoning is seventeen. I will have a new key made and take the cost out of the vault, if that is acceptable to you?” Harry nodded to that last bit as he read the account statement.

“Account Manager Sharpclaw, I have been keeping myself aware of the developments in the non-magical world and wish to make some investments if I could?” Sharpclaw took out a new piece of parchment and a quill then looked at Harry expectantly.

“Ok, I don’t need to have controlling interest, just enough to live comfortably if the need arose. I wish to purchase stock in the following muggle companies: Microsoft, Apple Computers, British Petroleum, McDonald’s Restaurants, Starbucks Coffee and I wish to invest in gold and other precious metal futures. After that, I just want you to use whatever else I have in my Trust Vault and go make me money, as long as it’s legal and not considered Dark or for evil purposes”

Sharpclaw nodded, “Was there anything else, Mr. Potter?”

“As of right now, no but should anything else arise I’ll let you know. I do wish to enter my family’s vault to see if there are any journals or letters left to me by my parents.” Harry replied.

* * *

So Harry was taken down to his Trust Vault where he removed some money then traveled to the Potter Family Vault and was allowed inside. There he found a small chest that contained journals and letters written to him by his parents as well as the Last Will and Testament to be opened upon their death. Taking the chest and its contents with him, he was escorted back to his account manager to read the Will.

The opening bit was the usual legalese of ‘To whom it may concern and the listing of the Family connections.’ Then Sharpclaw read out the bequeathments and final notices.

“To **Mr. Sirius Orion Black (Padfoot)** : We leave you guardianship of our Son, Harry James Potter as well as a monthly stipend of ten thousand Galleons (10,000G) for his care and education. Please raise our son to be a productive member of society and to look out for the fun things in life. We (Lily and James) have declared Sirius to be Harry’s Godfather as per ”the Godfather Ritual.” Sirius, we love you and wish you the best.”

“To **Mr. Remus John Lupin (Moony)** : We leave you stewardship of the Potter Family Accounts and Businesses as well as input as to how Harry shall be raised. Moony, don’t let Padfoot allow Harry to run wild. We trust in you to make sure they both keep their feet on the ground. In addition to the stewardship of the Potter Family Account, we leave Mr. Lupin a monthly stipend of one thousand Galleons (1,000G) for his own usage. This part is non-negotiable Moony! Get yourself some decent clothes and live, damn you!

“To **Ms. Minerva McGonagall** : We leave to you access of the Potter Family Library with the proviso that you use them to teach the next generation to the best of your ability. Unfortunately, you cannot remove them from their current location Minerva; some of these books are one of a kind and should be protected from little hands, if you understand. Please also keep involved with Harry’s life and education. You should know better than anyone else what kinds of mischief Padfoot and Moony can get up to!

“To our Son **Harry James Potter** : Upon your age of majority (seventeen), you will inherit all monies and properties belonging to the Potter Family. It is our hope that you will have been raised to be smart, loving and caring with those around you and ask that you forgive us for not being strong enough to share in your growing up. We miss and love you with all of our very being.

“To **Mr. Peter Andrew Pettigrew:** We leave to you our notes and journals in the subject fields of Runes and Arithmancy as well as a one-time deposit of one thousand Galleons (1000G). You took a lot of ridicule from others even though we (James and Lily) could see your brilliance in these two subjects.

“To the **Director of the Magical Law Enforcement** (whomever it may be): If you are hearing this then please note that we were betrayed by someone we thought was our friend and confidant. When we went into hiding, it was suggested by **Headmaster of Hogwarts and Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore** to use the Fidelius Charm. We had initially decided to use Mr. Sirius Black (Padfoot) as our Secret Keeper but he (Dumbledore) suggested that we switch to another friend of ours, **Mr. Peter Andrew Pettigrew**. Albus explained to us that using Sirius as a Secret Keeper it would be too obvious of a choice. By using Peter, who’d ever suspect him? If we are dead, then use all of your power and influence to find and arrest Pettigrew. If Pettigrew is guilty of these charges then his bequeathments shall be null and voided.

“Finally, We (Lily and James) want it known that under **NO CIRCUMSTANCES** shall our Son be left in the care of Lily’s sister and her husband, Petunia Dursley nee Evans and Vernon Dursley. They hate any form and knowledge of the existence of magic and we (Lily and James) fear that they (Petunia and Vernon) would mistreat our Son.”

Sharpclaw read off the closing statements but by this point Harry was lost within his own mind and no longer paying attention. Harry took a deep breath and requested that the Will be executed to the best of Sharpclaw’s ability.

“Account Manager Sharpclaw, I also want you to find out who it was that left me with my aunt and uncle despite my parents’ wishes and coordinate with the Director of the Magical Law Enforcement to punish them to the fullest extent of law. Someone ignored the Will and I want him or her to suffer as I did. If it weren’t for the kindness shown to me by my Primary Three and Five teachers, Miss Belinda Honeybloom and Mr. Robert Cody, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.” Sharpclaw nodded and wrote it down in his growing list of tasks.

“Anything else, Mr. Potter?” Harry shook his head no.

“Then I shall endeavor to accomplish what you have set out for me. Good day.”

Harry gave the appropriate response and left with his Goblin escort.

* * *

After leaving the bank, Harry stopped in at the magical trunk supplier and picked out a basic three compartment. He asked for the additional charms so it would be lightweight, the lock could only be opened by him, an anti-theft charm and an indexing charm for the library section. He then moved from store to store picking up the items on his list. When he entered Slug and Jiggers, the apothecary, it felt like he was stepping into his home away from home.

“Good afternoon, young wizard. Are you shopping for your Hogwarts gear?” asked the proprietor.

“Yes, ma’am. I’d like to look around first. This store looks like it has so much to offer someone like me.”

“Oh? You interested in Potioneering?” she asked.

“Mm-hmm. I’ve had tutors that helped me develop a love for the art.” The proprietor smiled at that.

“That’s good to hear. It’s always a good idea to find something you love to do early in life.

Harry picked out the basic ingredients that were on his list as well as a personal selection for some recipes that he had developed on his own and could now pick up. He also bought a copper cauldron instead of the pewter one listed. The proprietor asked him about his decision and he replied that copper was less likely to melt if he were to make a mistake. During a conversation about Basic Potioneering, the shopkeeper recommended that Harry purchase a journal of some sort to record his efforts and ideas. Harry smiled knowingly as he brought out his _‘Assistant’_ and demonstrated its uses and features. He acknowledged that with it he’d be unlikely to make such a mistake but it didn’t hurt to be careful. The shopkeeper had read about it and was curious to see it in person. Harry finally admitted to being the co-creator of the journal along with his Primary Three and Five teachers.

The two of them spoke at length regarding the latest developments mentioned in the last issue of _‘Potioneer’s Monthly’_ when another customer entered the store.

The shopkeeper looked up and greeted the new arrival, “Ah! Professor Snape, welcome. Last minute purchases before the beginning of the school year?”

The man in question wore all black and had a dour look on his face, “No. These are for personal usage.

Harry perked up at the mention of the professor’s name. Severus Snape was a regular contributor to _Potioneer’s Monthly._

“Hello, Professor. My name is Harry Potter, I look forward to being taught in your class.”

Severus turned and gave a bit of a sneer at the sight of the son of his school-days nemesis. The thought of this brat in his class nauseated him. The shopkeeper could see the tension building in the man and defused it in the best way possible.

“Professor, did you ever read the articles regarding ‘ _The Potioneer’s Assistant?’_ ”

Severus nodded, confused at this sudden, strange question. _Of course he had…_

“Well it turns out, that wonderful creation in the art of Potions of the last decade was co-developed by Mr. Potter here under the pen name of Harold Talbot.” Severus looked sharply at Harry who grinned.

Harry brought out the journal and demonstrated it for the professor. He gave a brief description of the operations of the “Test Potion” feature that would allow the user to create and test a potion without the need to use expensive ingredients or equipment.

Snape was initially sickened beyond words at the revelation that James Potter’s son was the co-creator of the magical world’s greatest invention in the past fifty years and yet for all the fame that had been awarded to ‘Harold Talbot,’ Harry Potter seemed to be as normal as could be. Severus quizzed Harry on some basic knowledge, eventually increasing in complexity. Harry gave the proper answers as well as insights he’d discovered on his own. Maybe he wouldn’t be an annoying clone of his enemy and more like his mother. Time would tell…

* * *

The next stop was at Ollivander’s Wand Shop. Upon entering, Harry’s nose crinkled at the musty odor of dust, wood, various varnishes and the tangy taste of magic that hung in the air. Ollivander himself was a mixture of all those things as well; his silvery eyes unnerved Harry a bit. After trying nearly forty wands and listening to Ollivander speak about the nature of wandlore and how it was the wand that chose the wizard, Harry finally found a holly and phoenix feather wand that sent out bright gold sparks when he waved it around.

His final stop was at Eeylop’s Owl Emporium; he wandered amongst all the different breeds of birds wondering if there could be a match for him here as well. Just then there he heard a rustle of feathers and a weight landing on his shoulder. His head snapped around and he laid eyes on a beautiful white Snowy Owl. The owl clicked its beak at him and began to preen his hair. The shopkeeper came around and told him that the owl was obviously destined to be his familiar. _She is one smart bird_ , in Harry’s opinion. He also bought a perch and a cage along with some treats. He decided that for the time being, she would stay on his shoulder until it was time to head back home.

Harry and his owl made one more stop before heading back to muggle London. They stopped for dinner at the Leaky Cauldron; Harry had a BLT on wheat bread with a side order of chips and a bottle of something called Butterbeer. He got a plate of chopped meat bits for his owl.

Once that was done, Harry got the owl in her cage and set off for the nearest bus stop to take them home.


	4. Chapter 4

#  **Saturday 1 September 1991 King’s Cross Station, London**

Harry arrived at the station via the bus route at half past ten am with his trunk and his owl. He had asked his uncle to drive him to the station but Vernon had other plans and his aunt never drove unless it was an emergency. 

After demonstrating the _Assistant_ , he had asked Professor Snape how to get onto the train platform mentioned in the letter of acceptance. The letter never did instruct on how to find it nor how to get onto it. Snape had grunted about that and agreed that it should be in the letter. He then told Harry the trick to get onto the platform.

Harry looked at the pillar that held the secret entrance and shook his head in exasperation. _Really? Would it be so difficult to build their own station so students didn’t have to go through this hassle every school year?_

Once through, Harry found an empty compartment and loaded his trunk on board. He opened up his owl’s cage and brought her out. He had named her Hedwig and she responded quite well to it.

“Would you like to stretch your wings for a bit, Hedwig? Just keep close to the platform and be back when you hear the whistle blow, ok?” Hedwig nodded and took off.

Harry wandered around the platform then headed up to the locomotive to check it out. He spoke briefly with the engineer about the workings of the locomotive and its history. Next, he went back through the portal to find a quick lunch stand and bought a couple of sandwiches, a large bottle of water and a newspaper before heading back to the magical side. When he arrived, Hedwig swooped down and landed on his shoulder. The two of them boarded the carriage compartment and settled in for the upcoming journey. The crowds of people who were sending their own children off to school arrived and Harry kept to himself in his compartment. He had no desire to start a massive crush by all the people who wanted to meet their ‘savior.’ He watched sadly as parents gave their kids last minute instructions, gave them hugs or kisses on the cheek. How he wished that he had parents to do that with him…

With a final blow of the whistle, everyone going to Hogwarts climbed aboard and the train began to move out of the station.

* * *

Time passes slowly if you’ve caught up on all of your reading and especially if there was no one to talk to. Yes, he had Hedwig but she wasn’t exactly the greatest conversationalist. A rude redheaded boy had barged his way in earlier but Harry all but threw him out of his carriage when it became apparent that the boy was a loud-mouthed bigot. To hear him tell it, everyone that wasn’t in Gryffindor House was either bookworms, duffers or just plain evil. Harry had no time to put up with such attitudes as he hoped to become one of the duffers. Hufflepuff House sounded like the perfect place to learn all he could while at the same time make a lot of new friends. A blonde-haired ponce by the name of Draco Malfoy came barging in not five minutes later spouting off about how he could help introduce Harry to the right sort of people but Harry gave him the same treatment he gave to the redheaded twit. He thought of the characteristics and traits of the other houses.

Ravenclaw had its advantages as well but the thought of excelling in the class while ignoring the world around him was just folly in his opinion. There was more to life than just viewing the world through books. Miss Honeybloom had taught him that one.

Slytherin was a possibility though a slim one. He certainly had drive and ambition but from the stories he had heard both on the train and from speaking to Professor Snape, it was full of students who viewed others not as friends but as mere stepping-stones to getting what they wanted.

Gryffindor sounded like it was the house of the sports nuts. It seemed that based on the other stories he had heard about how brave they were, the reality was they were little more than the House of “Oooh! Look at the shiny ball! You want the shiny ball? Go get the shiny ball!”

Nope, it was his desire to get into Hufflepuff House. It afforded him the best of all the different houses without specializing in anything. He didn’t believe that they were lazy rather they took the time to enjoy each other’s company while working hard to achieve at any task.

* * *

As he was contemplating the upcoming Sorting, the door to his compartment opened and a bushy-haired young girl stepped in.

“Excuse me, have you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost one.” She asked.

“Nope, sorry. It’s been just been my owl and myself for the bulk of the trip. I will keep an eye out for it though. Can you describe it?” Harry replied.

The girl described the toad and then took a closer look at him.

“You’re Harry Potter, aren’t you? I’ve read all about you.”

“Really? Which articles? Or are you referring to those silly fictional books that Flourish and Blott’s was trying to pass off as real life adventures?”

“No, you’re listed in _Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Events_ and _Interesting People of the 20 th Century._”

“Yeah, I saw those too. Wasn’t too impressed with them, as they seemed to speculate more than answer any actual questions. By the way, what’s your name?”

“Hermione Granger, I’m a muggleborn.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Have you got all your equipment for the classes? I’m looking forward to starting Potions.” He commented and motioned for her to have a seat.

“I’ve only tried a few of the simpler spells but Transfiguration looks to be the most exciting class in my opinion. What House do you hope to get into? I’m hoping for either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw.” She said in one giant breath after plopping down on the bench.

“I hope to get into Hufflepuff. The other houses just have too many negative points for me to take seriously.”

“Oh?”

“Well, let’s take Gryffindor for example. It sounded like it was the house of the sports nuts. It seems that based on the other stories I had heard about how brave they were, the reality was they were little more than the House of “Oooh! Look at the shiny ball! You want the shiny ball? Go get the shiny ball!” Hermione giggled at his description.

“Next we have Ravenclaw. It has its advantages as well but the thought of excelling in the class while ignoring the world around him is just nuts. There was more to life than just viewing the world through books. My Primary Three teacher, Miss Honeybloom had taught me that one.” Hermione nodded thoughtfully.

“Third we have Slytherin House which has been traditionally been populated by just pureblood witches and wizards. I wouldn’t recommend that one, as you’d probably be murdered in your sleep if you were to get sorted there and they found out that you are a muggleborn. The house was full of students who viewed others not as friends but as mere stepping-stones to getting what they wanted.” Hermione grimaced at the thought of being murdered just because who her parents were or weren’t.

“Finally, we have Hufflepuff. It would afford the student the best of all the different houses without specializing in anything. A lot of people will say that Hufflepuff is full of lazy duffers. I don’t believe that they were lazy rather they took the time to enjoy each other’s company while working hard to achieve at any task. Plus as a _Potter_ , where else could I go? Hufflepuff, in my opinion is the house of the artists, the dreamers, the musicians and the magic makers.” She smiled at his description and belief in the house.

* * *

They sat in silence for a few moments as Hermione processed what she had just learned. She noticed his _Assistant_ lying on the seat next to him.

“Oh! Is that one of those _Potioneer’s Assistants_ I heard so much about?”

Harry nodded, “Yup, here take a look. I co-created this along with my Primary Three and Five teachers a couple of years ago and had the article published in the magazine _Potioneer’s Monthly._ This one is the latest version. It’s a blend of computer technology and magics.”

“I thought non-magical technology didn’t work around magical items?” She inquired as she skimmed through the pages and saw how they were laid out.

“Normally, they don’t but in this case what we did was instead of carving the runic arrays that create a ‘null-space’ into the journal itself, we used the same manufacturing process that computer manufacturers use in making microchips. Those are then mounted in protective sleeves that are then tied into the rest of the journal using a proprietary process.”

Her eyes glittered at the thought of sitting next to a real-life inventor and published author. It was so much better to think of him as that than that silly title of _The-Boy-Who-Lived._ She tried out some of the basic features of the _Assistant_ before handing it back to Harry.

“How much did these cost? I will have to write to the bookstore to send me a copy.”

“Thirty British Pounds or six Galleons but they aren’t available to the general population yet. I’m having a difficult time finding a magical manufacturer that’s knowledgeable in computer technology and manufacturing.” He replied.

“Wow, thank you, Harry. You’ve given me so much to think on. I really should get back to helping Neville find his lost toad.” With that she got up, gave him a warm smile and left the compartment.

* * *

Once at the school and standing in line behind Hermione in the Great Hall, Harry listened to an old magical hat, which sung badly, about the four houses and their qualities.

One by one, alphabetically by last name, the new First Years were called up and had the hat placed upon their heads. Some were sorted very quickly while a couple of others took a few minutes. Hermione got sorted into Ravenclaw, while Neville Longbottom, the boy who had misplaced his toad was sorted into Gryffindor. Finally, it was Harry’s turn.

 _“Well, hello Mr. Potter. Let’s see…Hmmm…Oh, not a bad mind, Ravenclaw would benefit greatly from your learning and skill to develop the Potioneer’s Assistant, yes. You show a lot of bravery, that’s for sure, Gryffindor would help you there. You have ambition and drive in spades Mr. Potter…”_ Not Slytherin! Harry thought back to the Hat. _“Not Slytherin, eh? Hmmm…where to put you?”_

“ _I want to go into Hufflepuff!_ ” thought Harry, _“It’s the House of the artists, the craftsmen, the dreamers, the music and magic makers!”_

 _“Interesting description, Mr. Potter. If you’re sure then…_ BETTER BE…HUFFLEPUFF!!”

That last bit had been announced to the school and the Hufflepuff table erupted into cheers. A few redheaded students at the Gryffindor table looked confused and rather disappointed, _“we didn’t get Potter?”_

Harry glanced up at the Head Table and spotted a quick moue of disappointment from the Headmaster. The look quickly shifted back to one of indifference when the man realized that Harry was looking at him.

After a great dinner and listening to a few introductions, Harry was led down a flight of stairs and towards a stack of barrels along one wall. The prefect instructed the First Years on how to access the Hufflepuff Common Room by tapping on the barrel to the tune of saying ‘Helga Hufflepuff.’ Once inside, the First Years were assigned their rooms and all quickly went to sleep.

* * *

#  **Monday 3 September, 1991 Hogwarts Hufflepuff Common Room**

Sunday morning dawned and Harry spent the day exploring the castle. He learned where most of his classes would be and to his joy discovered where the greenhouses and potions labs were. They were locked unfortunately but he wasn’t worried; he’d get in there.

As Monday morning dawned clear and bright, Harry got up and went through his usual morning routine. When he was finally dressed and had just clipped his Potioneering kit bag to his belt, he headed out to the Common Room to see if there was anything that he needed to know. The Fifth Year Prefect, Eric Truman, met up with him and told Harry to wait as the First Years were going to be escorted to breakfast then led on a tour of the castle for an “official” orientation.

“So, Mr. Potter. What’s your first impression of what you’ve seen so far?”

“I think it’s wonderful! The size of the Great Hall, the moving portraits, the ghosts and the food are just wonderful.” Replied Harry, “I’m really looking forward to my first Herbology and Potions classes.”

“Hmmm…Herbology is a great class, our Head of House is the professor of the subject but I should warn you that the Potions professor…he doesn’t like anyone from any of the other houses,” Truman stated, “He’ll verbally mistreat you, take away points for inane reasons and berate you if your potion isn’t to his standards. The man doesn’t even really teach. He’ll point to a recipe on the blackboard and tell you to get started. No instructions on how to prepare anything, no safety warnings, just ‘ _your project is on the board, begin.’”_

“That’s…kind of scary.” Harry nervously said, “What’s his name?”

“Severus Snape,” replied the prefect.

“Oh! I met him at Slug and Jigger’s in Diagon Alley before school started. He teaches the First Years as well? He seemed to be nice enough but I guess I’ll find out when the time comes.” Harry interjected, “It sounds as if the professor should be teaching just the older years and for the school to find someone to teach the younger years in proper methodology.”

“That would be wonderful but the school board is annoyingly reluctant to spend money where it’s needed. The school’s flying brooms are positively ancient and in very bad shape. The flying instructor, Madam Hooch, keeps requesting new ones but she’s always told that there’s no money available, which in my opinion is strange because the History of Magic professor is a ghost. Why would he need to be paid? Very strange indeed.”

“Has anyone ever asked the Ministry or perhaps sent out an anonymous letter to the media outlining the strange circumstances of the school’s financial and equipment problems?” Harry asked curiously.

“Not to my knowledge but that’s a good idea. I’ll think about it,” He glanced up, “Ok, it looks like that the others are finally starting to drift in, why don’t we get assembled and head on up to breakfast?” Truman said.

* * *

Upon reaching the Great Hall, Harry looked around for Hermione and found her at the Ravenclaw table eating.

“Good morning, Hermione. May I join you?” She nodded.

“Excited about your first classes?” He asked.

“Oh, yes! I can’t wait for Professor Flitwick to get done eating so he can hand out our schedules. What about you?” she responded eagerly.

“As I mentioned on the train I’m looking forward to Potions. I asked my prefect and he said that Professor Snape usually holds his classes on a Friday.”

“You going to bring the _Assistant_?”

“I always carry it with me. You want to see it again?” She nodded eagerly and reached out making little ‘grabby motions’ with her hands.

Harry dug into his bag and pulled out the _Assistant_ and handed it over. Hermione curiously examined the “interface screen.”

“So what do some of these symbols mean?” she asked, pointing at them.

“There’s a list of the abbreviations on the back cover and their meaning,” Harry said as he began to build his breakfast.

Hermione flipped to the back and saw the following list:

 **‘On/off’** = activate/deactivate _Potioneer’s Assistant_

 **‘Indx’** = Index of ingredients, recipes and techniques

 **‘Nw Pt’** = New/Create a Potion

 **‘Chg Pt’** = Change/Modify a Potion

 **‘Test Pt’** = Test Potion

 **‘ < > ^ v’** = scroll direction

 **‘Select’** = select the item

 **‘^/v $’** = look for more or less expensive ingredients

 **‘Mug alt’** = muggle alternative to potion

 **‘Scan pg’** = scan a list for item

 **‘Copy pg’** = copy a page from outside source

 **‘Copy bk’** = copy a book from outside source

* * *

The list continued down the rest of the back page. Hermione was curious about one abbreviation.

“Mug Alt, Harry? Are there muggle equivalents to potions?”

“Uh-huh. For example, the Draught of Living Death can be substituted with Curare. The Wolfsbane Potion, which is used to give those suffering from Lycanthropy the ability to retain their human minds, can be substituted with…get this, Benadryll.”

“You’re kidding!”

“I swear. For whatever reason chemically, the effects are the same. Plus, by taking a dose of Benadryll, the werewolf can avoid most of the pain that’s associated with the change. Amazing, huh?” Harry had a wide grin on his face, “I can’t wait to show Professor Snape that part. I actually met him before school started. Nice guy if a little dour.”

“Do thine ears deceive us, brother? Does this ickle Firstie actually look _forward_ to meeting Professor Snape?” The Weasley Twins had just dropped down on either side of Harry.

“I believe so, brother. It begs the question as to _WHY??_ Are you insane? Bump your head on the way to breakfast?” commented the other twin.

“Nope, not insane. I enjoy working with potions and Professor Snape _is_ the school’s Potion Master. Like I said a moment ago, I’ve already met him, we had a nice conversation about the _Potioneer’s Assistant_ while in Slug and Jigger’s before school started.”

 _“A nice conversation?”_ asked one twin in shock, “What is this _Potioneer’s Assistant_ you speak of?” queried the other.

Hermione passed the _Assistant_ to the twins. They looked at it with a puzzled expression and glanced up at Harry to have him explain it to them. Harry explained the key points and also recommended that they look through past issues of _Potioneer’s Monthly_ that described the features in greater depth.

The twins’ eyes were glittering with excitement and were deeply impressed, “Harry, most of our pranks are potion-based. This has to be the greatest thing ever invented. How’d you get your hands on this?”

“I invented it along with my Primary Three and Five teachers.”

Their heads snapped up and the look of surprise appeared on the twins’ faces, “How much does this cost?” ventured one twin.

“Six Galleons.” Answered Harry, “I can let you borrow an extra _Assistant_ I have with me for the next couple of days if you want.”

“Please! Oh, by the way, we’re Fred and George Weasley.” Said the one on the left. ( _Fred?)_

“Pleased to meet you both. Well, since we’re here, why don’t I take you through an crash course on how to operate the _Assistant_?” Harry commented.

So until the professors started to make their way down to the student tables, Harry explained how the different features worked and had the twins as well as Hermione practice making simple potions using the index. All three of them were taking copious notes at a furious pace.

“Harry?” asked Hermione, “What’s your dream for the _Assistant_? I mean, you must have one, right?” He nodded.

“Eventually what I’d love to see happen is for all students to be issued an _Assistant_ when they enter the class so they don’t waste ingredients or destroy equipment and in so endanger themselves from fumes or spillage.”

“But Harry,” asked Hermione, “what good would that be? The students would still need to actually practice with the ingredients to pass the class tests as well as make them in the real world.”

“True but for the first few weeks, it would be too dangerous until the professor can teach safety practices and basic techniques. Aside from those who have had tutors or whose parents let them in the kitchen to help out with the cooking, most children have no idea how to hold a knife properly, how to set the fire properly for the right temperature nor how to properly slice, dice or chop. The _Assistant_ would allow for them to do their homework without costing the teacher anything.”

“For that explanation, five points to Hufflepuff, Mr. Potter.” Came a dour yet mildly amused voice from behind them. Turning around, Harry spotted Professor Snape with a slight smirk on his face.

“Do you offer bulk purchase discounts for schools, Mr. Potter?” Snape asked.

“I’ll get back to you on that, sir. I’ll have to check with my business manager.” Harry replied and grinned. Snape nodded in acknowledgment.

* * *

Harry received his schedule from Professor Sprout and read through the schedule:

# Monday/Wednesday/Friday:

  * Breakfast (All) 7:30am – 8:50am; Great Hall
  * Charms (H/R) 9am – 10am; Classroom 2A
  * Morning Tea (All) 10:10am – 10:30am; Great Hall
  * Transfiguration (H/R) 10:40am – 11:50am; Classroom 4B
  * Lunch (All) 12pm – 1pm; Great Hall
  * Herbology (H/R) 1:10pm – 3pm; Classroom 1C (Theory, Monday and Wednesday); Greenhouse 1 (Friday)
  * Potions (H/R) 3:10pm – 5pm; Dungeon A15 (Friday only)
  * Dinner (All) 5pm – 6:30pm; Great Hall
  * Curfew (5th year and below) 8pm – 7am



#  **Tuesday/Thursday**

  * Breakfast (All) 7:30am – 8:50am; Great Hall
  * DADA (H/R) 9am – 10am; Classroom 13F
  * Morning Tea (All) 10:10am – 10:30am; Great Hall
  * Astronomy (All) 10:40am – 11:50am; Classroom 23D (Tuesday, Theory); 11pm – 1am; Astronomy Tower (Thursday, Practical, All)
  * Lunch (All) 12pm – 1pm; Great Hall
  * History of Magic (All) 1:10pm – 2pm; Classroom 45G
  * Flying Lessons (All) 2:10pm – 5pm; Quidditch Pitch (1 month course only, independent study time afterwards)
  * Dinner (All) 5pm – 6:30pm; Great Hall
  * Curfew (5th year and below) 8pm – 7am



#  **Saturday/Sunday**

  * No classes; independent study time
  * Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner times remain the same



He saw that his first class was with the Ravenclaws for Charms class on the fourth floor. He dashed off back to his room to pick up his textbooks for his next two classes and headed off.

* * *

##  _**Charms Classroom 2A…** _

Harry enjoyed Charms. The diminutive teacher, Professor Flitwick, was a half-Goblin who squeaked and fell off his stack of books when he called out Harry’s name. After finishing taking the attendance, Flitwick had them taking notes and then led the class in how to perform the _Lumos_ and _Nox_ charms.

Harry held his hand up, “Professor? What would the charm be if I wanted a low powered flashing light?”

Flitwick paused for a moment, “Why would you want that, Mr. Potter?”

Harry just shrugged, “It would be kind of neat if we were in a darkened room and everyone had a different colored blinking light to play around with.”

Flitwick chuckled in response, “The charm is _Coruscum_ and the wand movement is similar to the standard _Lumos_. If you wanted to be a different color or intensity, you’d use a modifier word tacked onto the end. For example, _Coruscum rubrum!_ ” A bright, flashing red light shined out of his wand. The whole class ooh-ed and ahh-ed, “then if you wanted to change the intensity, you’d use _Coruscum rubrum minima!_ ” Now just the tip of the wand flashed on and off in red.

“Wow! Thank you for showing us that, professor.” Harry grinned.

“My pleasure, Mr. Potter. Five points to you for asking an interesting question.”

* * *

##  _**Transfiguration Classroom 4B…** _

The next class Harry had was in Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws as well. This class was on the fourth floor and with the changing staircases; Harry just barely made it on time. He grabbed the first seat available and pulled out his quill and fresh parchment to be ready to take notes. Glancing around, he didn’t see the professor but did spot a cat sitting on the desk.

“Hello professor.” Harry greeted.

The cat suddenly jumped off the desk and transformed in mid-flight into Professor McGonagall to the gasps and light applause from the other students. She had a curious look on her face.

“I’m impressed Mr. Potter. How did you know it was me?”

“Simple, the markings around your face while in cat form match the glasses you wear as well as the body language you were exhibiting.” Again, McGonagall slowly nodded in recognition of his observational skills and motioned for him to continue, “What else, Mr. Potter?”

“When one of the other students came in and made that remark about the apparent lack of a teacher, your cat face gave that same sort of look you’re giving them right now.” The rest of the class giggled quietly at McGonagall’s moue of mild distaste at Harry’s cheekiness.

“Do you have some sort of experience of being around Animagi, that is to say wizards or witches who can change into animals?”

“No, ma’am. I’m just observant. It’s helped out greatly with living with my relatives and when developing the _Potioneer’s Assistant._ ” He replied.

“Ok then… in that case, five points to you Mr. Potter. Now class…” McGonagall began teaching the class in the rules of Transfiguration.

* * *

##  _**At lunch…** _

Harry plopped down on the bench and pulled several platters of food to him and began building his lunch. He kept it simple, as he didn’t want to have the post-lunch energy letdowns. He made himself a grilled chicken sandwich on wheat toast with a slice of cheese and a couple of layers of sliced tomato and lettuce with a smearing of mayonnaise. He tried the pumpkin juice on offer but made a disgusted face at the taste. He looked around and saw that the only other drink available was water or tea. He chose the tea and added a bit of lemon to it.

While he was eating, he pulled out his homework assignments and read through the instructions. He began to write and again grimaced at his sloppy handwriting. This quill pen was driving him to distraction. He wondered if there was an alternative he could use for homework and made a mental note to ask his Head of House, whose class was next.

* * *

##  _**Herbology Classroom 1C…** _

Finally, Harry trotted over to the Herbology classroom and impatiently waited for Professor Sprout to come out of her office. He glanced around at the plants that were on display and recognized most of them. He spotted a couple of plants that weren’t immediately recognizable and made a note to investigate later as Professor Sprout had finally arrived and began the class.

Harry immediately put his hand up and when Professor Sprout motioned at him he asked, “Professor, I’m sorry but this is off topic but I was wondering if there was an alternative to writing our assignments using the quill pen? My handwriting has become absolutely atrocious since entering this school.”

Pomona Sprout tilted her head as she thought about the question, pursing her lips thoughtfully, “Well, I don’t have a problem with using another writing utensil if you have it, Mr. Potter. I’ll tell you what; at the next staff meeting I’ll bring up your question and see if any of the other teachers have a problem with you students not using quills. If they don’t, then I’ll let you know the verdict. Is that okay with you?” Harry nodded and smiled in appreciation.

* * *

#  **Thursday 5 September, 1991 DADA Classroom 13F**

Right from the start, Harry could tell that this class was not going to be everything it promised. First off, the teacher had a terrible stutter and that made focusing on what information given extremely difficult and he started having a terrible headache about halfway through the teacher’s introductory speech. Second, the teacher kept making little disparaging remarks about muggleborns specifically and the non-magical world in general.

He discussed his observations with his prefect, Eric Truman, but the advice was to just give the teacher a chance, as it was only the first week.

* * *

##  _**In the next class…** _

Harry’s next class was Astronomy and this he enjoyed until he tried to engage the teacher in a discussion about some of the concepts and discoveries that had been made in the non-magical world. It turned out that the teacher had never been to the non-magical side in her life and had no clue as to what he was trying to discuss. Topics of improved optics, the composition of the rings of Saturn, Jupiter and Uranus and the American Moon landings of the 1960s went right over the teacher’s head and caused her eyes to glaze over a bit. It was saddening to him that these teachers were supposed to be the best and brightest to offer to the students’ education was disheartening.

* * *

##  _**At lunch…** _

Harry was discussing some of the letdown and troubles he had encountered with Hermione and a couple of other muggleborn or raised students. They all had their own observations about the low quality of subjects that were given at the school.

“It’s almost like the magical world is stuck in neutral when the rest of the world surged ahead,” commented Hermione.

“I agree,” replied Justin Finch-Fletchley, another Hufflepuff like Harry, “My parents observed the other adults their age when we went to do my shopping in Diagon Alley and the way that everyone here behaves and dresses, they say it’s almost like the Victorian Era stage play that never ended.”

“Does your parents go to re-enactments or something?” Asked Harry.

“Theater patrons, their favorites are Shakespearean plays and the like.” Justin said then glanced at Hermione, “They’d love to meet you and your family. I’m guessing that your parents are Shakespearean fans as well?” She blushed and nodded.

“Does anyone here have access to a non-magically made telescope?” Harry inquired, “I was thinking that maybe if someone who had one could bring it in and show off the advancements that have been made in the past hundred years, we might be able to prove just how good non-magicals are in comparison. I’m going to write home and see if my uncle could send me my non-magical textbooks and possibly some demonstration models of the drills he makes at his company to showcase modern non-magical manufacturing.”

Dean Thomas, a first year Gryffindor asked him what sort of textbooks and why.

“Well, let’s face it. The magical view of the non-magical world is _at least_ fifty to a hundred years out of date. By showing them these items maybe we could start a… I don’t know, a revolution of sorts that maybe the past should be left there, in the past… you understand what I’m trying to get at?” Dean and the others nodded then began discussing what else they could bring and how they’d get it up to them.

* * *

##  _**In History of Magic…** _

Harry was having the most difficult time ever trying to stay awake. He didn’t know which was worse, DADA or History, in terms of ‘Worst Class Ever!’ The History professor was a ghost and spoke in a droning monotone voice. He never looked up from the book he was reading from and took no notice as to whether or not the students were paying attention.

Harry noticed that the others were sleeping, dozing off repeatedly, working on other projects or just staring off into space. Hermione seemed to be the only one actually paying attention and taking notes. He was taking notes as well but his notes were of his observations of the class and the lack of true education.

* * *

##  _**Flying lessons, Quidditch Pitch…** _

Harry was understandably nervous. This was to be his first flying lesson and he hoped to not embarrass himself or his teacher. Roland Hooch, the flying instructor, was a no-nonsense kind of person with hawk-like yellow eyes. She quickly got everyone lined up in front of their brooms and instructed them on how to activate them. When Harry yelled, “UP!” the broom sharply smacked into his hand with little hesitation. Hermione’s kind of rolled around on the ground while Neville’s didn’t even move.

Once everyone had a broom in their hands, Madam Hooch taught them how to properly mount and hold onto them. There was a bit of humor when Draco Malfoy, the blonde ponce from Slytherin House and the pureblooded bigot from the train complained loudly to the instructor that he ‘had been holding his broom like that for years’ despite Hooch telling him he was doing it wrong.

Neville had a bit of a problem when he ‘jumped the gun’ after Hooch gave her instructions on how to hover. After climbing uncontrollably, he slid off his broom and crashed onto the ground, breaking his wrist. Madam Hooch rushed over to him and escorted Neville to the Infirmary, meanwhile telling everyone else to remain on the ground or face detention. 

Malfoy had spotted a glass sphere that had fallen out of Neville’s pocket and taunted the poor boy about having such a ridiculous device. Harry was close to giving chase but Hermione managed to convince him that would be a bad idea and to just let the teacher handle it when she returned. Ron Weasley, the loud-mouthed redheaded bigot from the train, was goaded into the air for a brief chase to retrieve it when Hooch returned, yelled at both boys and gave them detention for failure to follow directions.

When the flying commenced, Harry discovered that he was a natural at flying. He felt free and unburdened from all of the problems on the ground. He spotted Hermione nervously trying to get up in the air but every time her feet left the ground, she let out a squeak and promptly dropped back down.

He dropped down to her level and called out to her, “Hermione? Look at me,” Harry instructed, “Don’t look anywhere other than my face. Now, gently push off and slightly lean forward…”

Hermione followed his instructions and was soon following Harry slowly around the pitch. He kept slowly increasing the speed until both were flying along at a comfortable walking speed. When they landed, Hermione grapple-hugged him and thanked him profusely for his help. It turned out that she was terrified of heights and his instructions and patient voice helped.

Madam Hooch approached Harry at the end of class and awarded him five points for being such a good, patient teacher and for helping out a friend.

* * *

#  **Friday 6 September, 1991 Potions Classroom**

Friday finally arrived and Harry made sure that he had read ahead at least two chapters in the textbook as he had heard that Snape liked to throw out questions to catch people off-guard. Once the door opened, he took a seat near the front. Hermione sat down next to him with a smirk on her face.

“Ready to be shown up, Harry? Want to see who’s the bigger teacher’s pet?” she quipped humorously.

“Ha, ha. Funny,” he mock-laughed, “Can you blame me?”

Hermione just shook her head and smiled, “No, I guess not. This is your forte, isn’t it?”

At that moment, Snape strode in; his cloak billowing behind him. He gave a speech about the subtle art that was potion making and how there would be very little “foolish wand-waving.”

“Potter! Without looking in your _Assistant_ , what would I get if I were to add the powdered root of Asphodel to an infusion of Wormwood?”

Harry thought for a moment, “The primary ingredients to the Draught of Living Death, sir though I’d add a bit of Agrimony.” Harry said with a knowing look on his face.

Snape paused and blinked in surprise then gave him a brief nod, “Thank you, Mr. Potter.” He then turned to another student and asked where they might be able to find a bezoar.

After finishing his questioning of the students’ knowledge, or lack thereof, he had them start to prepare and brew their first assignment of the ‘Boil-Cure Potion.’ He stopped by Harry and Hermione’s table to see what stage they were at.

“Very good Mr. Potter though you might want to increase the heat just a little bit more,” then glancing at his cauldron asked, ”Why are you not using the cauldron and equipment I saw you purchasing at Slug and Jigger’s?”

“For the low temperatures required by these early potions, I didn’t see the need to use them. I have in mind to set up a potions laboratory in my dorm room or perhaps if Hufflepuff has their own room specifically for that purpose. I’ll use the more advanced stuff there.”

Severus nodded his understanding and quietly asked, “May I speak with you after class?” Harry nodded.

* * *

After class when everyone had left, Professor Snape took a deep breath and sighed,

“When did you learn the language of flowers, Mr. Potter?”

“Last year, sir. I happened to see the book on the shelf in my local library while researching the Latin names for the Category Three Potions index.”

“Category Three Potions?”

“Those are the potions that involve inherently volatile chemicals like Ethyl benzene or Carbon tetrachloride.”

“I’m not familiar with those names. Are they listed in the _Assistant_?”

“Yes sir,” He handed over his copy of the _Assistant_ , “Go to the index and look up Category Three Potions. There is a sub-listing for definitions and a glossary.” Snape nodded and perused it briefly.

“So what did you think of your first potion’s class?” He asked without looking up.

“I loved it though I am a little concerned on the lack of safe handling practices instruction. Was that a chapter that we should’ve read and I missed it?”

Severus pursed his lips then sighed, “No… I keep forgetting that most first year students have very little prior interactions with tools and procedures. I guess…I should start with that. It would definitely make things go smoother in some of my other classes….” He handed the journal back to Harry.

“Professor, if I may, it seems that you’d be better off teaching the more advanced years. Why is it that the school has you instructing the first years?” Harry gently asked.

Snape grunted, “I’ve asked that question many times. Every time, I get the response that there’s just no extra money to hire a Basic Potions teacher.” He looked at Harry with an appraising look, “Why? Do you have any ideas?”

Harry nodded, “I was talking to my fifth year prefect this past Monday and it was brought up that it seems strange to be giving a salary to the History professor. I mean, he’s a ghost. Why would the school need to pay a ghost? It begs the question, where is the money going?”

Severus looked pensive for a moment, “That _is_ a very good question, Mr. Potter. If you were in a position to do so, what would your recommendation be?”

“I’d write a letter to both the school governors and also to the Ministry department that handles the finances of the school, if there is one, stating your concerns and request that they look into it. Heck, send a copy to the Department of Law Enforcement.”

Severus nodded thoughtfully, “That’s an excellent idea and a good use of critical thinking. Five points to you, Mr. Potter. Now off with you.” Harry grinned at the awarding of points, gathered up his stuff and left the room.

Severus in the meantime, set about to write a letter to the school governors and to the Director of the DMLE. While he was writing, he was also thinking about the boy. The boy was acting more like Lily than his father. It was rather infuriating, how was he supposed to keep hating the living embodiment of his school nemesis when the child kept acting like his mother?

* * *

##  **Later in the library…**

Harry was sitting in the library after dinner doing some studying for a Transfiguration exam that was going to be held at the end of the week. Hermione was busy scribbling away on her homework and reading at the same time. He marveled at her ability to multi-task like that. There was a quiet scuffing of feet to his left and when he looked up, he saw a round faced, sandy-blonde haired boy in Gryffindor colors hesitating. He recognized him as the boy who lost his toad from the train and the boy who had broken his wrist at the Flying Lesson.

“Hi. Neville Longbottom, right?” Harry greeted.

Neville nodded shyly, “I was wondering if I could join you?”

Harry pointed to an empty chair at their table, “Please, have a seat. So what’s your favorite subject?”

“Herbology.”

Harry’s face lit up, “Mine too! Well, that and potions. The two are linked really. So what’s your take on the homework assigned in Transfiguration, were you able to explain the necessary wand movements in regards to the word spoken and how…”

The two boys began quietly discussing the Transfiguration homework with Hermione chiming in every now and then. After a couple of hours of studying and discussing homework, the three children decided to take a walk outside in the courtyard.

“So, Neville. When’s your birthday?”

“July thirtieth, nineteen-eighty. Hermione? When’s yours?”

“September nineteenth, nineteen seventy-nine.”

Harry turned to her sharply, “The nineteenth? Why didn’t you say so sooner? We would’ve gotten you a present!”

Hermione blushed pink, “Just having friends is a wonderful birthday present.”

Harry nudged her with his shoulder, “Never in doubt about that, Hermione.”

* * *

The three of them shared some details of what their lives were like prior to coming to Hogwarts and the revelations that they were magical. Neville mentioned that he came from a long-running pureblood magical family but there was a lot of concern amongst his family members that he could’ve been a Squib because he hadn’t shown any accidental magic until he was eight years old. Harry had known he was magical since his Primary Three days when his muggleborn teacher had clued him in. Hermione’s was similar to Harry in that she didn’t realize that she had any magical talent until a Squib neighbor mentioned it to her parents. They sat down on a bench next to a window that, in daylight would’ve shown the Black Lake, while Hermione started complaining about the methodology of the magical world.

“I don’t know why the Ministry doesn’t let our parents know before the age of eleven! It would solve so many problems if they were to send a representative out to explain things and give us access to some books on the theory of magic.”

“I imagine it’s because the Ministry is run by the purebloods who still look down on muggleborns,” commented Neville, “most of the laws that are in place favor purebloods over anyone else.”

“That’s not fair! The Statute of Secrecy would be that much more secure if they would inform the muggleborn parents of their children’s condition beforehand.” She pouted.

“I’ve long held the belief that logic and magic cannot share the same space. In order to have one, you must give up the other,” quipped Harry as the other two chuckled in response.

“Actually, I think it would be great if there was a magical primary school for everyone, especially the muggleborns. I mean, it ties in with what Hermione was saying. The Statute of Secrecy would be much more secure if the parents found out about magic earlier, the children could learn the basics like ‘Beginning Latin,’ ‘Quill Writing and Usage’ and all the usual topics in a school. To just show up one day and say, ‘You’re a witch/wizard!’ without any prior introduction to this world is a recipe for disaster.” Both Hermione and Neville nodded thoughtfully.

* * *

##  _**Harry’s dorm room…** _

At the end of the day, Harry pulled together all of his notes that he had taken from his observations and discussions with the other muggleborn and raised students so he could begin compiling them into some semblance of order. He continued to think about the topic that had come up in the conversation he had with Neville and Hermione about the classes that could be offered in a magical primary school.

He decided to write to Flourish and Blott’s to see if they had any books on topics such as _Introduction to Latin_ and _Quill Writing_ or if they could contact someone in the non-magical world to get them. He also wrote a letter to his uncle explaining his idea to showcase the best of non-magical manufacturing and if Vernon would mind sending an exhibitor’s sample of drills and bits. His third letter was to Belinda Honeybloom, asking her to send a copy of non-magical textbooks covering the equivalents of the magical subjects.

After all the letters were written, he dashed off to the Owlery and convinced Hedwig to make the stops needed. He gave her an owl treat and a big kiss on her cheek after he tied the letters to her leg. She just huffed at him and a light nibble on his ear in response then took off.

* * *

#  **Saturday 7 September, 1991 Staff lounge**

The teachers gathered for their monthly staff meeting just after breakfast. They held these meetings to catch up with their peers after the summer holidays, to discuss new options for class, to discuss or complain about the students and things of a similar notion.

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore sat back in his chair and quietly listened to those around him. After a few minutes, he cleared his throat and began the meeting.

“Welcome back for another fun-filled and exciting year!” he said to the quiet scoff from someone in the back, “I hope you’re all as excited as I am with the new group of young, eager minds as I am. Does anyone wish to go first?”

One by one, the teachers went through their list of observations and gripes. Pomona Sprout brought up Harry’s question about using something other than quills for homework or notes. The other teachers thought about it and decided that it wouldn’t bother them. Minerva McGonagall had her usual exasperation about the infamous Weasley Twins. Rolanda Hooch, the flying instructor, had her usual complaints about the condition of the school brooms. Professor Flitwick noticed a small smirk on Severus’ face and called him on it.

“Severus? What has gotten you to give a smirk like that?” he inquired, “Last time you had a smirk like that, Gryffindor lost the House Cup.”

Severus chuckled quietly, “I was just thinking about Harry Potter and what a joy it is to have him in my class. It’s rare to find a student of any house to have such an in-depth knowledge and love for potions. It just boggles my mind that the son of my enemy is such a delight to teach. He’s quick and inventive but knowledgeable in many different methods of brewing. If I close my eyes while talking with him, I’d swear that he was older than he appears.”

“Hmmm…yes, I must agree. On his first day with me, he asked if there was a charm to produce a low powered flashing red light. When I asked why, he said that it would be fun for he and his classmates to sit in a darkened room and play around with the colors and intensities,” replied Filius.

The rest of the staff were shocked by Snape’s response. The animosity between James Potter, Harry’s father, and Severus Snape was legendary. Pomona Sprout spoke up in agreement with Severus and Filius.

“I too, am thrilled to have Mr. Potter. Not just in my House but also in my class. He’s attentive and knowledgeable just as Severus’ said. What’s also interesting is that journal he carries with him at all times. I’ve never seen someone so into Herbology at his age that he’d carry around such a journal.”

“Have you ever seen the inside of that journal, Pomona?” asked Severus.

“No, why? Should I?” she asked.

“I’d recommend it. Within those pages is the most wonderful and creative invention I’ve seen in the art of potions and quite possibly all of magic for the past decade.” Severus replied, “as a matter of fact, I think that many of us should get a closer look at it. The creation of it covers topics like Runes, Arithmancy, Charms, Potions and quite a few others.”

Dumbledore leaned forward, “Perhaps, if no one has any objections, we should have Mr. Potter come here now and demonstrate this journal?” Everyone agreed so Dumbledore summoned a house-elf to go and send for Harry.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door and Harry was let in puffing a bit, as he seemed to have run to the room. He shyly greeted all the professors.

Severus addressed him, “Mr. Potter, the staff and I would like for you to demonstrate your journal. Give a talk about the development of it and some of the interesting features.”

Harry nodded, “I’d be happy to, sir.”

* * *

Harry moved to the head of the table and laid his journal on the surface. He dug into his bag and pulled out a glass sphere. The sphere had a gold band around the outside and looked to be engraved with tiny symbols. He tapped one of the symbols with his wand and the sphere jumped out of his hand and rose two feet above the table. It then shone a light out towards Harry’s face and down at the surface of the table. He then turned the sphere so the light shining in his face was now pointing at the wall and tapped a couple of other symbols, getting the sphere to adjust itself to the proper height and focus.

When he moved his journal under the sphere, its function became quite obvious. It was a magical version of an overhead projector. The teachers were murmuring excitedly at the setup and apparent usage of the sphere. More than one was clearly itching to examine both items closer.

“Mr. Potter,” Severus began, “what is that sphere you just set up?”

Harry looked up at him, “I’m calling it ‘ _The Teacher’s Assistant.’_ Does everyone here understand the basics of optics and light?” Most everyone nodded, “It’s basically a modified glass sphere with certain runes engraved on the band that causes it to act like a magical version of the overhead projector that non-magical teachers use in their classrooms. Before you get too excited and want to get your own, I must point out that it’s still in its _very_ early testing phase. I haven’t gotten all the Arithmancy, runes and other details down the way I want them.”

Harry began his lecture on the history and development of the _Potioneer’s Assistant_. He covered the structure of the database management system as well as the more interesting functions like the ‘Mug Alt,’ ‘Test Pt’ and ‘Scan Pg.’ More than one teacher expressed their interest and exclamations of wonder at the knowledge contained within the journal. He expounded about the development of the miniaturized computer and how it operated along with the controlling runes.

The Runes and Arithmancy professors were practically drooling at the thought of closer examinations and questioning him on their developments. Harry pulled out his copy of the issue of the _Potioneer’s Monthly_ and said that the more in-depth discussions of their topics could be found within. He did ask them to return it when they were done, as it was his only available copy. 

Harry then grinned and asked Severus if he knew that there was a muggle alternative to the complicated, and therefore expensive, Wolfsbane Potion. Severus thought for a moment and shook his head negatively.

“Well, there is. It’s a muggle antihistamine known commercially as Benadryll.” He said to the stunned silence of the room.

Severus wasn’t the only who spluttered in shock for a moment, “Mr. Potter,” Poppy Pomfrey, the school nurse, asked, “do you mean to tell us that the muggles have had a preventative medicine for Lycanthropy all this time?”

Harry nodded and replied, “Tell me, Madam Pomfrey. What is the cost of a single dose of Wolfsbane?”

“Depending on the quality of the potion itself, upwards of one hundred fifty Galleons.” She replied.

Harry shook his head ruefully, “I can go into any muggle pharmacy, or apothecary if you will, and pick up a box of thirty Benadryll pills for seven pounds or one Galleon, four Sickles. Each dose is one pill and is only two Sickles per dose.”

The teachers were flabbergasted! Never before had it been made so clear to them that the muggle world was so much more advanced than right now. Poppy and Severus both had a _slightly_ better idea as to the advancements in muggle medicines than most of the others but they were still shocked. A price reduction of this magnitude was stupendous! Harry discussed what he knew of muggle medicinal manufacturing but warned them that his knowledge was very basic.

In the meantime, Harry passed his _Potioneer’s Assistant_ and _Teacher’s Assistant_ around the table so they could see it up close and marvel at its design and construction. At the end of the meeting, Harry packed up his stuff, thanked everyone for allowing him to share his knowledge and left the room.

After Harry had left and the teachers broke up to go back to whatever they had planned for the day, Severus remained in his seat pondering the developments of the past hour. His mind refused to settle as he thought about the revelations that James Potter’s son was so talented. It warred with his recollections of the arrogant man. In the end, he decided not to look at the boy and see a clone of James but see him as the living incarnation of Lily.

* * *

##  _**Harry’s dorm room…** _

Before he had been called to the teacher’s staff room to give that demonstration, Harry had set up a small potions lab in his room. He had worked on a recipe in his journal before getting called away. Once he had returned, he began preparing the ingredients for real. It was a relatively easy potion, for him at least, but it did have a couple of moments where concentration and specific number of stirs were required. To that end, he had hung a sign stating that he was trying to concentrate on his work and needed to be left alone on his door, locked it and activated a silencing charm built into the doorframe.

So far, everything was working perfectly; the potion was the exact yellow of a sunflower on a clear summer day. He added powdered cornstarch to thicken it to a paste and gave it two stirs in a counter-clockwise direction and let it simmer for the next ten minutes. While that was going on, he began to clean up his workstation. He had a separate cauldron set up with nothing but water in it with a bit of dishwashing soap simmering quietly over a low heat. He put the cutting board, his knife and a couple of vials in to let them soak.

Finally, the potion was done. It had a consistency of creamy peanut butter and gave off a soft yellow glow. Harry scooped out a bit and spread it evenly on a scrap bit of parchment then took it into his darkened closet. The parchment glowed brightly in the darkness, banishing the gloominess. It emitted the same warm color of the candles in his room. He smiled at his success and exited the closet. He bottled up the completed potion into an opaque jar and sealed it. Once he completed writing up the documentation, he finished cleaning his tools.

* * *

Harry trooped down to the dungeons with the documents, the sample jar and parchment to where Professor Snape’s office was located. He knocked on the door and was bid to enter.

“Professor? I was wondering if you might have a moment to look over this potion I created and the documentation?”

Severus looked up from the papers he was grading in surprise, “New potion? Hmm…let’s see that. I must say that your demonstration earlier definitely knocked a few professors for a loop. I’d be sure that the Runes and Arithmancy professors will be clamoring for you to join their classes when you reach third year.”

Severus read through the documents, a small smirk appearing on his face. He glanced up at Harry who was standing there, slightly fidgeting and gnawing on his thumbnail.

“Interesting proposal, Mr. Potter. Do you have a sample of this potion?” Harry nodded.

“Yes, sir. It’s that spare bit of parchment. To see it properly, you should go into a darkened room.”

Severus found the parchment and exited the room. When he returned, he had a pleased expression on his face.

“I’m impressed. So what sorts of application do you think that this could be used for and what caused you to think of it?”

Harry hesitated for a moment, “Well, I was thinking of a light for small children so they won’t be scared of the dark. There are a couple of students in my year and house that have been suffering from homesickness and a bit of fear of the dark. I would also use it as an alternative lighting source in a library or study, as an open flame would be very dangerous. It will absorb daylight to renew itself for six months before it begins to break down and a new layer needs to be applied in order to cut down on costs. Also, just off the top of my head, the school could apply it on stones along the walls so no one trips on things during the evening hours.”

Snape nodded, “Very good work here. I look forward to reading about it in the next issue of _Potioneer’s Monthly_.” He handed back the potion and the documentation to Harry.

“Sir, you can keep that jar. Maybe… well, I figure that most kids in your house won’t want to admit it but if they get scared or homesick, they could get a square with this on it and hang it in their bedroom. It would help calm them down.”

“Thank you, Mr. Potter. Would you mind if I were to share part of this with the other teachers and Madam Pomfrey?” Harry shook his head no.

Harry was dismissed and made his way back up to the Hufflepuff Hallway, where he tickled the pear in the bowl of fruit portrait guarding the entrance to the kitchens and went in search of a snack. He exited the portrait again a few moments later with a couple of sandwiches and a bottle of orange juice in hand and headed for his dorm room.

* * *

#  **Sunday 8 September, 1991 Headmaster’s Office**

Albus Dumbledore sat in quiet contemplation at the revelations and inventive creativity that was Harry Potter. He didn’t like the fact that Harry wasn’t downtrodden to the point where he’d looked upon the Headmaster as a savior from the harsh muggle life he’d grown up in. It greatly annoyed him that the boy appeared to be optimistic of his future as a potioneer. Albus pondered what to do to get the boy back to way he wanted. It was apparent that the Dursleys hadn’t acted like he had planned for them and was rather curious as to what went wrong. The wards he had set up at 4 Privet Drive should’ve caused animosity and even hatred towards the boy. It was a sheer impossibility that Severus would say anything negative about the child now; there was too much they shared in terms of their mutual love of potions. Something had to be done; it was for the ‘Greater Good’ that the Potter boy be meek and impressionable.

Albus pulled out the relevant issues from _Potioneer’s Monthly_ that discussed the creation and development of the _Potioneer’s Assistant._ He hoped to find something that could spell the downfall of young Harry’s successes. He thought about claiming that Harry had plagiarized the ideas and work from previous potioneers but unfortunately, the _Assistant_ was too revolutionary to have been thought of before.

He was patient, he wouldn’t fail. He’d find something…

* * *

Down in the Great Hall, Harry was quietly listening to the Weasley Twins vehemently denying that the latest prank to befall the Slytherins was their doing. The look on McGonagall’s face clearly said that she didn’t believe a single word of it. Hermione was slowly shaking her head in exasperation at the twins’ antics.

“It sure would be nice if there was a way to determine if a person was lying.” She commented.

Harry nodded in agreement then snapped his head up and looked at her with a wide-eyed expression, a slow grin forming on his face.

“I think there is. Gimme a moment,” as he began to rapidly push buttons in his _Assistant, “_ Yup, here we go. Veritiserum. Strongest truth serum on the market. It gives a warning though that use on a minor is illegal unless written consent is given by a parent or guardian.”

Hermione frowned, “Hmmph, that doesn’t do us very much good.”

Harry held up a finger, “Now wait a moment, I think I can alter it to something that can. I’ve been noodling with the idea that instead of forcing a child to tell the truth, as is the normal way with Veritiserum, it would turn their hair to a blinding shade of pink, blue or other embarrassing color. Let’s see… ah! Here it is. I have the ingredients upstairs, if you’re interested in helping?”

Hermione nodded enthusiastically, “Let’s go.”

* * *

The potion took a fair amount of time; the ingredients had to be chopped, squeezed, diced or shredded precisely then added into the cauldron at the right time and temperature. Their prep time took them nearly two hours and when it got to the final stage, wherein it needed to simmer undisturbed for a week, Harry activated a rune engraved on the cauldron that would prevent anything from entering the potion and also protect the user from anything exiting or exploding from the cauldron.

“Hermione, if I were you, you should write down everything you did for the preparation and brewing of this potion. Include your thoughts and observations of the whole process. Also include any changes that you think would improve the efficiency of the process. Make a copy of it and turn the copy into Professor Snape.”

She was appreciating his idea, “It would give me practice and Professor Snape would appreciate the effort to try something new?” Harry nodded as she pulled out fresh parchment, a quill and began to write.


	5. Chapter 5

#  **Monday 9 September, 1991 Transfiguration classroom 4B**

Harry was waiting outside the Transfiguration classroom waiting to be let in to take his test. He had studied really hard and hoped to do well. This would be his first major test in the subject. Hermione came bouncing up to him with a bright smile on her face.

“What’s gotten you all riled up, Hermione?” he drawled.

“We have a test today in my favorite subject!” she gushed, “You ready to be pounded down into submission?”

“You wish, Granger,” He snarked playfully back, “I’ll tell you what. Let’s make a bet, the one who gets a lower grade has to proclaim to the entire school at dinner just who is the King, or Queen, of the Universe is.”

“And if it’s a tie?”

“Then it rolls over to the next test. But it can only be for Transfiguration. Agreed?” He held his hand out.

Hermione shook his hand and agreed, “I look forward to you standing up at the teacher’s table proclaiming to the entire school that I am the Queen of the Universe.” Harry just gave her a toothy grin in response.

After they were let in and sat down, McGonagall handed out the test papers and informed them to begin. Nearly an hour later, all test papers were collected and the students were told that they’d receive their grades on Wednesday.

* * *

On Wednesday, both kids raced to the Transfiguration classroom to see their grades that had been posted on a bulletin board just outside the door. Harry reached the board first and ran his finger down the line to find his grade. He reached his name and gave a whoop of excitement, right there in bold was a nicely shaped ‘ **O**.’ Hermione came running up a moment later and searched for her name. Next to hers was the same grade. She gave Harry a bit of a pout but relented and grinned at him.

“That was a challenge, it’s a shame that I didn’t win but I’ll get you next time.”

Harry nodded in agreement, “It was a good challenge. Until next time, I guess.”

* * *

The next potion’s class, they turned in their documentation for the Veritiserum variation. Severus’ eyebrow rose in curiosity and glanced through what he had been given. A sly grin appeared on his face as he turned to the burgeoning Potion’s Duo.

“Mr. Potter, Miss Granger?” he began, “I hope you have a sample and if you’d walk me through what you did?”

Hermione handed Snape a vial of the serum, “Would you like us to walk you through it now or wait until after class?”

“I think now would be good enough,” he said.

So Harry and Hermione rose from their chairs and moved to the professor’s table. Harry got the _Teacher’s Assistant_ set up and the two of them walked Severus and the class through the development of the serum variation. Harry described how it was Hermione’s question that sparked the idea to create it even though he had been noodling with a similar idea previously. They both took turns describing the preparation and brewing of the recipe as well as the insights that were developed during the process. At the end of the speech, Hermione asked if they could have a volunteer to come forward and try out the serum. She warned that the effects would last for an hour but would fade when the accused finally told the truth about the lie. The dose would eventually metabolize out of their system within a day if the accused refrained from lying anymore.

“I’ll volunteer,” said one of the female Ravenclaws.

The Ravenclaw came to the front and Hermione administered three drops on the girl’s tongue. They waited for a moment before Harry gestured to Professor Snape to ask away. Severus asked a few questions on both sides requiring a truthful and untruthful answer. Every time the student told a lie, her hair would turn a blinding shade of pink.

The class applauded the efforts of Harry and Hermione along with the volunteering of the Ravenclaw student. Snape awarded all three of them ten points each for their efforts and recommended that Harry and Hermione write up an article for the next issue of _Potioneer’s Monthly_. Hermione looked like she was about ready to hyperventilate at the thought of co-publishing her first article. Before dinner, the two of them finished writing up the article and sent it off with Hedwig.

* * *

At dinner, Severus had one of the castle elves slip the modified Veritiserum into the drinks of the Weasley Twins. He casually mentioned to Minerva that Harry and Hermione had created a variation of the truth serum and that if the person was lying, their hair would turn a blinding pink and wouldn’t revert back to normal until the person told the truth. Minerva was intrigued and a slightly evil smirk grew on her face as she turned to face back to the assembled students.

“Weasley Twins!” she barked, “Care to explain why you pranked Marcus Flint and gave him warts?”

The Weasley Twins’ head snapped up at the sound of their names and began to vehemently deny their involvement from her accusation. Their hair immediately went blinding pink. Severus gave a quiet snort of vindication and amusement. The rest of the Hall erupted into laughter when the Twins’ hair changed. The accused Twins’ looked on in horror at the change in color.

“I’ve told you both before that we professors have ways of knowing who is lying and who is not. Until you confess and tell me the truth, your hair will remain this color. Care to reconsider your answers?” Minerva said glaringly.

The Red-Headed Menaces bowed their heads in shame and admitted that they pranked Flint because of his insults about their family. As they confessed to the truth, their hair faded back to their usual fire red. Minerva glanced over at Severus and gave him a small nod in appreciation.

* * *

After dinner and back in the Hufflepuff Common Room, Harry spent his free time reading ahead for next week’s classes and taking notes. His homework had already been finished and he was looking forward to actually getting to use wanded magic. One of the prefects made an appearance and told him that his presence was requested in Professor Sprout’s office. Upon arrival, he spotted Professors McGonagall and Snape and Hermione Granger waiting for him.

“Mr. Potter, Miss Granger; first of all I wanted to inform you that you are not in trouble,” began Minerva, “I wanted to share my appreciation and gratitude towards you and Miss Granger for the fine work you did in the creation of the variation of the truth serum. It worked beautifully as you saw at dinner. I also was wondering if you’d be willing to create a larger batch of it?”

Both Harry and Hermione nodded their agreement.

“How much did the ingredients cost you, Mr. Potter?” asked Severus.

“Well, about twenty-seven Sickles all told… though most of the ingredients I already had, harvested from the Greenhouses or from the perimeter of the Forbidden Forest. The expensive parts I bought when I was in Diagon Alley before the start of term.”

“Why did you feel the need to have those specific ingredients, Mr. Potter?” asked Professor Sprout.

“I wanted a well-stocked personal potion’s laboratory. As is the case, you can never be sure as to when you might need something.” Harry replied to which Snape agreed.

“I also wanted to ask you how you managed to brew this variation so quickly. What was it, about two weeks from start to finish?” Snape inquired.

Hermione shrugged, “We used the _Potioneer’s Assistant_ and discovered some alternative ingredients that didn’t have the same…requirements as the normal ingredients. Also, since we were only using the original formula as a reference, things progressed faster than normal.” Severus nodded thoughtfully.

Harry and Hermione were dismissed with the three professors thanks. Harry gave Hermione a goodnight hug and thanked her again for the help and the idea. Then he went back to his reading before heading off to bed.

* * *

#  **Thursday 19 September, 1991 Dinnertime, Great Hall**

Hermione sighed internally as she descended the Grand Staircase; she missed celebrating her birthday with her family. Harry had mentioned something about it at the start of the school year but made no further comment. As she entered the Great Hall to have dinner, she spotted a new table and gilded chair up near the Head Table. Suddenly, a loud voice that sounded like Harry rang out across the room.

“ **Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls! May I have your attention please! Tonight, we are here to celebrate the birthday of someone very close to me. Tonight, Miss Hermione Granger of Ravenclaw celebrates the twelfth year of life here in the castle!”** Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the students and staff.

“ **Now, I would be amiss to say that I’m sure that Hermione would rather be spending that celebration with her family but I think _we’ll_ just have to do.” **Chuckles and light jeering at Harry’s cheekiness spread out amongst the crowd.

Harry moved down next to the new chair and table and motioned to Hermione to join him, “ **Hermione, would you please take your seat here at the Birthday Throne?”**

Blushing madly, Hermione approached the throne and Harry amidst applause and light cheering. Once she sat down, a delicate filigree crown appeared on her head with the words, ‘Birthday Girl’ written in gold wires. A huge birthday cake in the shape of a stack of books and Hogwarts castle with the Ravenclaw emblem appeared on the table. Twelve candles were dancing around the top of the cake.

 **“Make a wish, Hermione and blow out the candles.”** She thought for a moment and blew as hard as she could and extinguished every candle.

“ **If everyone would join in with me to sing the birthday song…one, two, three!”**

Everyone from the Headmaster down to the First Years began to sing ‘Happy Birthday, Hermione.’ When they finished, the cake disappeared and a slice of it re-appeared in front of everyone. Harry gave her a hug and a gift; when she opened it she squealed in delight as she received her very own brand-new copy of the _Potioneer’s Assistant._ She then received a gift from Neville. It was a book on Wizarding Culture and Etiquette. She squealed again and gave him a hard hug and a profuse thank you as she had been asking him a load of questions about that very topic.

* * *

#  **Friday 20 September, 1991 Breakfast time, Great Hall**

Hedwig arrived with the other morning post owls and delivered the responses from the Diagon Alley bookstore and Miss Honeybloom. The bookstore said it had the books inquired upon in stock and gave the prices for each. Miss Honeybloom said that she’d be sending the books via another owl, as there would be too many of them for just Hedwig to carry. She also said that Uncle Vernon had contacted her and asked if she would be kind enough to send the exhibitor’s display of drills and bits along with her shipment, which she said she would.

A couple of moments later, two large owls dropped down on the table with shrunken boxes attached to their legs. Harry gave all three owls bacon and water and thanked them for their services. He unshrunk the package from Miss Honeybloom first and rifled through the books and magazines inside. Included with the textbooks were some magazines on topics of how things worked or were made, trade magazines and the like.

Hermione and a couple of other muggleborn and raised came over at that moment and exclaimed in joy and wonderment about the bounty of written treasure that lay within the box.

“Wow, Harry! This is very exciting stuff,” Justin commented.

“I know. I’m thinking that maybe we ought to hold a student-teacher conference to properly showcase what we have here. Did you any of you get responses to your letters?”

“I did,” said Dean, “My mum will be shipping out my telescope as soon as she gets a day off.”

“I got a couple of science and astronomy books from my parents,” said Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw first year student.

“What’s in that other box, Harry?” asked Dean.

“A selection of drills and bits from my uncle whose company makes them,” Harry replied, “along with some documentation and brochures. Ah hell, I just realized something though, we’re going to need a way to power these up…damn.”

The others looked pensive for a moment before collectively discussing the problem. In the end, they decided to write to Harry’s Primary Five teacher and see what sort of solution he could come up with. So Harry pulled out a piece of parchment and began writing.

* * *

##  _**In front of the door to the Potions classroom, Dungeon A15…** _

Hermione spent all of her free time since her birthday perusing through her new _Assistant_. She discovered that Harry had loaded all of the notes and recipes that they had developed together in the prior potions classes. She thoroughly loved her gift; it was the perfect thing for a lover of books and learning like her.

When Harry arrived for lessons, he grinned as he saw Hermione’s nose buried in her _Assistant’s_ Owner’s Manual, clearly reading about all the different features.

“Interesting read, Hermione?” he drawled.

Hermione’s head snapped up and she blinked owlishly before realizing that Harry was standing in front of her with a knowing grin on his face. She lightly blushed and gave a small grin in response.

“I’m still amazed by all that’s possible with this book. The features are simply astounding, I’d doubt that there would be anything similar in the muggle world or if there is, it’s in its infancy.”

Harry nodded knowingly, “Just to let you know before you actually start using the _Assistant_ , I locked down some of the more advanced options; like the one that would allow you to delete everything in memory, for example. Once you get comfortable using the regular features, I’ll test you and then we’ll see if you can handle the advanced stuff.” Hermione agreed to this.

Professor Snape opened the door and ushered everyone in. He spotted Hermione’s copy and turned to Harry.

“Any news on getting those manufactured in mass quantities?”

Harry nodded, “I’ve got a few inquiries to some manufacturing companies. Their owners are either Squibs or Muggleborns, which allows me to get around the Statute of Secrecy laws. I’m hoping to get the final bids by the middle of October.” Severus gave a nod in acknowledgement.

* * *

##  _**Later that evening…** _

Albus sat in his favorite chair in his office going through past issues of _Potioneer’s Monthly_ trying to find the contributions that Harry Potter had given towards the creation of the _Potioneer’s Assistant_. He kept drawing a blank, Harry’s name just never appeared even going back to issues when the boy was seven years old. All the articles were indeed interesting though some of the non-magical topics were clearly over his head. On top of that, the author was someone called Harold Talbot. _‘Could it be that this Harold Talbot is truly Harry Potter?’_ he wondered. It didn’t seem possible for the boy to have come up with something like this on his own. Even taking into account the help he might have received from his schoolteachers, it seemed unlikely. Perhaps this was the break he was looking for? He now had a letter to write…

* * *

#  **Monday 23 September, 1991 Great Hall**

Harry dragged himself to the table to have breakfast. At the very least, he needed a very large mug of coffee, pulling a late night study session with Hermione was very draining. The girl’s propensity to go overboard when it came to learning and studying knew no bounds! He loved to learn, but there should be time limits before the feeling like your head would explode got to be too great.

He looked up as he heard the post owls make their entrance and spotted Hedwig amongst the incoming flight. He realized that he really hadn’t paid too much attention to her and made a mental note to set aside some time for her. Hedwig landed in front of him and he untied the newspaper from her leg.

“Hedwig, don’t go back to the Owlery. I think we should spend some cuddling time together.” The look of surprise was evident on the young owl’s face and she gave a little squeak and a short dance of happiness, “Have some juice and bacon if you will.”

He received a letter from Mr. Cody and smiled at the news that his former teacher would try to obtain a small gas generator, protected with shielding runes and shipped out to him as soon as possible. Mr. Cody had laughed when Harry had explained the issue and was proud of him for coordinating with other muggleborn and raised students to solve the problem.

As soon as he finished reading the letter, he looked up and noticed everyone was glancing over at him, which got him curious as to what happened. Harry gasped when he opened the newspaper. There in big bold words was his name.

#  Harry Potter, The Boy-Who-Lied?

By Rita Skeeter

_Magical inventions happen all the time around us; the credit going to the authors and creators of said inventions. So why is it that the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter (11), be stealing the admirations and acclaims awarded to someone else? The latest development in the Potioneering field is a new interactive journal called the Potioneer’s Assistant, created by a gentle-wizard named Harold Talbot, yet young Mr. Potter seems determined to have the magical public believe that it was he who created this wondrous item. The Potioneer’s Assistant is an interactive journal that allows the user to create and modify potions before even needing to touch the ingredients or adjust a flame. From the research that this reporter has done, such a journal could potentially revolutionize the Potion’s field in unimaginable ways and yet a mere eleven-year-old boy wants us to believe that it was he who created it?_

* * *

The article continued a bit more, asking questions about the validity of Harry’s claim and a request from the reporter to the publishers of _Potioneer’s Monthly_ to confirm or deny the accusations made. Harry was shocked and hurt that someone could be so callous as to even suggest something like this. True, he had to use a pseudonym but if he didn’t, no one would’ve taken the work seriously. A shadow appeared over his shoulder and he heard Professor Snape speak.

“Mr. Potter? I see that you’ve read that disgusting article. Try not to take what Miss Skeeter writes seriously, she’s a notorious gossip muck writer who’s more interested in garnering attention rather than factual articles.”

Harry looked up at him with tears in his eyes. He wiped at them with a napkin and nodded in understanding at Severus’ advice.

“Thank you, sir…. I need to ask you something though. If you had known that I, as myself, had written all those articles about the journal would you have given it the same consideration that you gave when you first read it?” Harry asked. Then when Snape admitted he would not have, Harry asked, “In your opinion, would it be beneficial to write to the publishers of _Potioneer’s Monthly_ with the evidence that I did create it along with the documentation of who else helped me? Should I write a rebuttal to this dreck in the _Daily Prophet_ or just ignore it?”

“Don’t ignore it. I think it would be beneficial on both counts, Mr. Potter. Get ahead of the potential backlash so it doesn’t seem like you’re a whiny, attention-seeking child. I’ve seen your work in my class as well as read the articles you wrote about the _Assistant_. Aside from obvious adult help in phrasing and editing, it’s clear to anyone with half a brain in their head that you are the creator. I would be proud to write a letter of recommendation to you stating this fact and a condemnation to the _Prophet_ against Skeeter.”

Harry gave Professor Snape a watery smile and thanks. After Severus left, he turned back to Hedwig who by now had cleared his plate of bacon and was sitting listlessly on the table, “Silly bird. I did say you could have some bacon but I never thought you’d make a pig of yourself,” he snorted then put up a mock sigh of consternation, “Well, it looks like I’ll have to create a carrying sling to put you in. You’re in no condition to fly and it will easier for us to snuggle.” Hedwig gave an overstuffed, feeble hoot of thanks.

* * *

Hermione came up to him just outside the Great Hall and gave him a big hug. She looked into his eyes and declared that anyone who could doubt that he had created something like this had their head stuck in a hole. Harry hugged her back and buried his face into her shoulder and just held her, breathing in her scent to calm his nerves. Hermione gave a small grin of her own and was feeling rather proud of herself. She enjoyed this despite the circumstances; a boy was hugging her and drawing comfort as well. It didn’t hurt that whenever Harry looked at her with his gorgeous green eyes that her insides turned to mush…

After classes had finished for the day, Harry got settled in a comfortable chair and began to write his letters to the publishers of both the _Daily Prophet_ and _Potioneer’s Monthly._ To the _Prophet_ , he outlined the theory and history of development that he had gone through to create the journal as well as any non-proprietary information on its physical creation. He explained the reasoning behind using a pseudonym, in which he rightfully believed that any article written with the name Harry Potter would not have been given the proper attention that would’ve been required for something of this caliber.

To the editors of _Potioneer’s Monthly_ , he explained pretty much the same thing except for the parts outlining the background information of the _Assistant,_ as they already knew about that. He apologized to them for misleading them about the pseudonym but asked them to understand why he did so.

He then looked at the clock and saw that he had enough time to get to Professor Snape’s office. He trooped down and asked the professor if he’d look over his letters to make sure that everything was worded properly and edited carefully. Snape agreed and promised Harry that he’d have it done by breakfast time. Harry thanked him and made his way back to the Hufflepuff dorms. The next morning, Severus handed him the edited parchments. Harry rushed up to the Owlery and sent off the bundle with Hedwig.

* * *

A couple of days later, the morning edition of the _Daily Prophet_ had a new article. It was Harry’s rebuttal of Skeeter’s accusations along with a published letter of recommendation from Severus Snape. The article was well written and asked the readers how they would’ve reacted if they saw an article written about the _Assistant_ by Harry Potter. He stated categorically that the articles would’ve never been taken as seriously unless he used a pseudonym. The rebuttal also included a statement from _Potioneer’s Monthly_ saying that the handwriting from the submitted letters matches that of Harry’s and that they confirmed the history of development.

The other students were quietly discussing this latest development. Some of the Slytherin students kept glaring at him though Harry couldn’t figure out why. One of the Slytherin First years, Draco Malfoy, openly mocked Harry. He stated that he believed that this whole thing was just a set-up by the ‘famous’ boy-who-lived. Harry just shook his head in exasperation and ignored the blonde-haired idiot. Hermione congratulated him on clearing things up in a mature manner and that she had his back if needed. He smiled shyly and quietly thanked her.

In addition to the morning mail, was a package that had to be delivered by house-elf. In the package was the requested gas generator from Mr. Cody. It included a ten-gallon drum of gasoline and an instruction booklet. He thanked the elf and got in contact with the other muggleborn and raised. Together, they contacted all the necessary professors to demonstrate their goodies.

* * *

#  **Saturday 28 September, 1991 Evening on the Hogwarts Courtyard**

Harry and his friends had everything set up. The generator was gassed up and ready to be started, the lights that Hermione had requested from her parents were properly installed and focused. The high-powered binocular telescope from Dean was pointed in the general direction of Saturn. The telescope had a shield to protect the viewer’s eyes from the lights set up in the rest of the display. Harry had the drills set up and the bits loaded along with different samples of materials from a block of wood to a piece of sheet steel.

The professors and interested students gathered around and waited for the presentation to begin. Harry stepped forward and began his opening speech.

“Thank you everyone who decided to attend. I and the other muggleborn and raised decided to put together this demonstration because we noticed that the magical world seems to be very behind in terms of technology, the sciences, culture and other things that we were raised in. This demonstration is in no means inclusive of _everything_ available in the non-magical world but should at least give you a hint of what’s out there.”

Hermione stepped up and said; “The non-magical world has the ability of providing power to just about anything that requires a form of power called ‘electricity.’” She motioned to the boxy-looking thing at her side, “This unit is called a gasoline-powered electrical generator. It operates on the principle of burning a liquid fuel to drive a set of pistons that turns a crankshaft, which finally operates a spinning generator. Be warned, it gets a bit noisy.” She started up the generator, which roared to life then settled down to a loud growl.

Justin then stepped forward and said with a raised voice to counter the generator, “You will all notice that the lighting out here seems rather dim, or at least what’s normal for out here. What if I were to tell you that the muggles have a method of turning night into day?” There was some scattered mutterings of ‘impossible!’ from the crowd. Without further ado, Justin flipped a switch and the courtyard was flooded with bright light.

The assembled crowd squealed a bit and covered their eyes from the sudden illumination before blinking the spots out. In addition to the floodlights, there were garlands of twinkling multi-colored lights, a rotating disco ball with strobe and a couple of desk lamps. Terry began handing out a set of brochures and booklets of some of the items displayed on the tables. The professors and students were amazed that they were able to read the words quite clearly. All of the books, magazines and such were passed around.

“Now, imagine how much easier it would be in the library or any of the classrooms when we need to read or study?” Justin continued.

The next major attraction was the television that Terry had brought in. It was tuned to the evening news channel in Edinburgh and all the magicals were transfixed on the images and sound quality.

“With this television, I can get quality pictures and sound for broadcasts such as news, sports, entertainment and educational programs. The range of the reception is determined by the size of the antenna. At this point in time, Edinburgh is the limit of reception. In addition, there is a device that allows for the recording of said shows and permits playback at a later date and for however many times you wish to view it.” He pointed to and demonstrated the videocassette recorder and played a tape of an educational program that had been broadcast nearly a month ago. “Finally, I’d like to point out that normally, any muggle electronics would not work here in Hogwarts because of the ambient magic. With the help of Mr. Harry Potter and by copying the runic array segment of his _Potioneer’s Assistant_ , we were able to shield everything you see here.”

Dean then handled his portion of the demonstration and showed off his telescope. One by one, the assembled guests marveled at the clarity and focus of the telescope. Professor Sinistra was practically drooling at the thought of having one of these for future classes.

Finally, Harry demonstrated the manufacturing side of the display. He described each item and showed how the drills worked. He handed one drill off to Albus and Minerva and demonstrated proper safety and handling along with the operation of the drills.

The demonstration lasted for several hours and by the time that they were done, Harry and his friends were truly tired and sore from talking so much. Despite all that, they were proud of what they accomplished. It might not have any immediate results but they did get the seed of future possibilities planted.

* * *

#  **Sunday 29 September, 1991 Teacher’s Staffroom**

The teachers had decided to hold an impromptu meeting the next day to discuss the results and discoveries made from the demonstration last night. Excitement was running rampant throughout all assembled. The Muggle Studies professor, Charity Burbage, was besieged with requests to hold these events more often and also questions as to why these demonstrations and the information were never discussed before. She repeatedly said that _she_ didn’t even know that these things were available or possible. She admitted that she’d never stepped one foot into the non-magical world and was just basing her class off the available textbooks.

Minerva spoke up, “Well, I think that this demonstrates the real need to fund a research trip for Charity to go out into the muggle world and investigate in greater depth. I will contact the Board of Governors and see about getting a grant.”

“Now, Minerva,” Albus began with a mildly condescending air, “I don’t think that the governors will want to be bothered by this sort of thing. I hardly think it’s necessary at any rate. The class is doing just fine by using the available textbooks.”

“Are you off your rocker, Albus?” she exclaimed, “Were you not there with me and the others using a drill and looking through that telescope? Did you not witness that television and its possibilities? It’s patently clear to me that this school needs to update its ways in so many areas. I, for one, cannot wait to examine in greater detail the subject of engineering.”

The other professors gave their support for expanding and updating the Muggle Studies class. Albus had no choice than to acquiesce to their demands and promise to send along their decisions to the Board. Privately though, he would “accidentally” lose the inquiry at the first chance he got. This sort of thinking and progress was not conducive to his vision of the Greater Good.


	6. Chapter 6

#  **Tuesday 1 October, 1991 Hufflepuff Dorms, after dinner**

Harry was in a lousy mood. He had been ever since he had received a letter from Gringott’s that morning stating that his account manager had finally discovered who it was that violated his parents’ Will. It turned out that it was the Headmaster! Looking back on the events of the past month kind of made sense in a warped and twisted way. The man had seemed a little too interested in Harry’s actions and whereabouts since he had stepped foot in Hogwarts. It also gave Harry pause to think that maybe Dumbledore himself instigated the scathing articles written by Rita Skeeter. Why the old man wanted to destroy his reputation was beyond imagination. What possible good would come from having Harry portrayed as an attention-seeking, downtrodden child?

To settle his mind, he pulled out his list of potions that he wanted to experiment with. _‘Hair growth potion that targeted just the user’s head?’ Nah. ‘Color changing potion that reacts with what a person has eaten? Possibility. ‘A slow-release Pepper-up that won’t give a person the jitters?’ Yeah, I think I like that one._

Harry set-up his equipment and began prepping his ingredients. Using the _Assistant_ , he made the necessary changes to the basic recipe and settled in to do the brewing. It took the better part of two hours but by the time that the potion was ready to be portioned out into vials, his mood had calmed.

He entered the Infirmary with a case of the modified potion and looked around for Madam Pomfrey. He knocked on her office door and was bid to enter.

“Madam Pomfrey? I have something here that you might like to have. I created a variant on the Pepper-up potion that has a slow release feature so that the drinker doesn’t get the jitters.”

Poppy looked interested, “A slow release version? Sounds interesting. Let’s see what you got here.” She looked over the recipe and instructions then sampled a bit before giving her approval, “Very impressive, Mr. Potter. I think this will be incredibly beneficial to our students studying for their OWLs and NEWTs, not to mention the teachers who have to deal with all of the students’ homework and class work.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I was also hoping that you’d run a series of tests with various students to make sure everything works properly? I would like to get this published and out on the market as soon as feasibly possible.” Poppy agreed and dismissed him.

* * *

Harry returned to his dorm room and began to write a return letter to Sharpclaw. He instructed the Goblin to coordinate with the Director of Magical Law Enforcement to prosecute, if possible, the Headmaster for illegally placing Harry with his relatives and to see if there were anyone else he might be related to that would be willing to take him in. He also asked Sharpclaw to run an audit on his accounts to see if there was any other foul play going on. If it was found to been any chicanery, to retrieve any stolen items or money with extreme prejudice. Once he was done, he walked up to the Owlery and gave the letter to Hedwig to take to Gringott’s. On his way back, he spotted Neville Longbottom hopping along the hallway, his legs apparently bound together.

“Neville? What happened?”

Neville turned around and nearly fell over at the sound of Harry’s question, “Malfoy jinxed my legs together, said he found a spell and wanted to practice on someone,” he said dejectedly.

Harry helped him to sit on a set of stairs and tried to comfort the boy who started quietly sniffling, “I’m sorry that Malfoy is such a twit, Neville. I recommend seeing Professor McGonagall about this. No one should suffer from being bullied. Why didn’t you cancel the spell?”

Neville sadly replied, “I forgot the counter-spell and didn’t want to make things worse. I just wish that I were a stronger wizard. Everyone already thinks of me as being just a step up from being a Squib.”

“I don’t think that,” Harry stated firmly, “Is there a problem with your wand? I know that Ollivander has said that if there’s a mismatch with a wand, you wouldn’t be able to get the best results from it.”

“I’m using my dad’s wand. My Gran declared that if it was good enough for him, it will be fine for me.” Neville replied with a sigh.

“Hmm… I don’t think that’s fair. I think you should tell McGonagall that as well. Maybe she can have a chat with your Gran.”

* * *

Professor Flitwick made an appearance and unjinxed Neville when asked. He inquired as to what happened and when Neville seemed reluctant to explain, Harry replied that Draco Malfoy jinxed Neville’s legs together. Professor Flitwick was understandably upset and docked Malfoy ten points and awarded Harry five for being a loyal friend and looking out for others. The two boys thanked the diminutive professor then made their way up to McGonagall’s office and knocked on her door.

Minerva’s eyebrow rose as she listened to Harry and Neville’s story about what had transpired in the hallways with Malfoy. She promised herself that the blonde Slytherin would be spending at least a week’s worth of hard physical labor in detention, heck she might even consider sending the Weasley Twins his way. However, it was the admission of Neville’s mismatch with his wand that caused her to speak.

“Mr. Longbottom, what reason did your grandmother give for not taking you to see Mr. Ollivander?”

Neville glanced down at his feet shyly before looking her in the eye, “She said I was going to use it to honor my father and that since it worked fine for him it would well for me.”

Minerva took a deep breath and refrained from letting out a sigh of exasperation. Sometimes Augusta Longbottom could be a right pain in the arse. Nodding to herself, she told Neville that this weekend, she would be escorting him to Diagon Alley to pick out a new wand. Neville gave a nervous smile at the news, Harry was grinning broadly.

“Mr. Potter, I award you five points for loyalty to a friend and for bringing this to my attention. Regarding Mr. Malfoy, do not concern yourselves with the situation. I will be handling that personally.”

The two boys left her office and headed back towards the Central Stairwell. Harry bid Neville a good night and a promise that when Neville got his new wand for him to find Harry and they’d do a bit of practicing.

* * *

#  **Friday 4 October, 1991 Severus Snape’s Office, Dungeon Level**

“Professor? Do you have some time to help me with a problem?”

Severus looked up and saw Harry standing nervously in the just outside his open door. He motioned for Harry to come in and take a seat.

“What’s the problem, Mr. Potter? It’s rather unusual for a non-Slytherin to seek me out.”

Harry hesitated for a moment then gave his answer in one big blur, “Well, I have a conundrum. It seems that the Headmaster has taken an unusual interest in my activities and whereabouts ever since I first stepped into this school. That scathing article in the _Daily Prophet_ appeared just a couple of days after I demonstrated both _Assistants_ to the teaching staff and according to my Goblin Account Manager, the Headmaster was the one who witnessed the signing of my parents’ Will and also is the one who placed me in my relatives’ care despite it being against my parents’ wishes.”

Snape’s eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline as Harry told his story then dropped down into an angry sneer when Harry mentioned the close timing of the article and the teacher’s meeting.

“I wrote to my Account Manager and instructed him to coordinate with the Director of the DMLE on the financial side of this but should I bring forth my evidence of what I’ve noticed around here to the magical law enforcement? Would they even consider me since I’m underage? I…I just…don’t know.” Harry finished quietly.

Severus looked at Harry for a moment contemplating the conversation. The apparent facts given did paint a rather dark picture about the Headmaster. He did have one question.

“Why come to me instead of your Head of House?”

“Because… I trust you. We both have a love and incredible talent for potions and its uses. We’ve both published articles before and know what it’s like to have to defend our work. Professor Sprout is a good Head of House but when it comes to something like this? I asked her what I should do and she thought it would be a good idea to have all parties involved to have a sit down and discuss the issue. I don’t want to compromise on something like this. I want it ended and you’re my first choice to…well, you know…”

Severus sighed briefly, “You remind me so much of your mother sometimes. Ok, Mr. Potter, I’ll help. I would recommend contacting the DMLE. First though, you know a Miss Susan Bones? I believe that she’s in your house?” Harry nodded, “Speak with her about the generalities of your problem and ask her if she has any insights you could use to open a dialogue with her aunt. Her aunt is the Director of the DMLE and would be the best choice to send your letter and complaints to. She’s a dedicated and fair-minded kind of person.”

Severus reached into his desk and pulled out an empty vial. He then took his wand and placed the tip of it against his forehead and paused for a moment before slowly pulling the wand away. Attached to the tip was a wispy tendril of blue-white gossamer fiber. He put this fiber into the vial and corked it. This in turn, he handed it to Harry.

“What you have in your hand is a memory of that staff meeting where you demonstrated the _Assistants_. Madam Bones will most likely have an artifact that will allow her to view the memory. Include in your letter the article written by Skeeter regarding the allegations of plagiarism and fraud. Explain your beliefs and reasoning just as you presented to me a moment ago.”

Harry took the vial and glanced at the swirling memory within. He nodded his understanding of Severus’ instructions.

“One other thing I recommend you include in your letter is a copy of the hand-written drafts for the most recent articles you wrote under the pseudonym of ‘Harold Talbot’ and of your last homework essay assignment. That will allow her to compare the writing, I doubt she or her investigative team will have a problem.”

“Finally, include in your letter just what you hope to accomplish with this inquiry of investigation. Are you trying to punish the Headmaster for instigating a smear campaign? Financial reasons? That sort of thing. You might also want to include the results from your conversation with your Account Manager regarding your parents’ Will.

Harry had written down all of Snape’s suggestions and when the Potions’ Master was done, thanked him for taking the time to help him and exited the room. He headed back to the Puff Common Room where he found Susan Bones chatting with her best friend, Hannah Abbot.

“Susan? May I speak with you privately for a moment?” he quietly asked.

Susan looked over at Hannah who nodded. Turning back to Harry she said, “Sure, what’s wrong?”

Taking her aside, Harry explained in general terms of what his problem was, including the redirected mail, the illegal placement of himself while a toddler and the recent problems with that article in the _Daily Prophet._ He asked her if she had any insights as to what kind of letter he ought to write to her aunt so she would begin an investigation. She was horrified at his story and assured him that her aunt was a no-nonsense kind of person and that any letter of this sort should be written out with just the plain facts and to leave out any flowery phrases.

He thanked her and went straight for his dorm; he had a letter to write.

* * *

###  _4 October, 1991_

_Dear Madam Bones;_

_My name is Harry Potter and I am a First year Hufflepuff. I’m writing to you because I feel that Headmaster Dumbledore has taken an unhealthy interest in my activities and whereabouts ever since I first started here at Hogwarts. In addition, several events have taken place that leads me to believe that he’s not at all what he seems. For example, I have created an interactive potions journal called the_ Potioneer’s Assistant _and a floating orb called the_ Teacher’s Assistant _that is used to project what you’re working on or using onto a wall or other viewing surface. I’m enclosing the memory of the staff meeting, provided by Professor Severus Snape, in which I demonstrated the operations of both devices to the Headmaster and the staff. Within a couple of days, a rather scathing article from Rita Skeeter was published in the_ Daily Prophet _claiming that I had stolen the work from another wizard and was a lying, attention-seeking child. As you can imagine, the timing between the two events is too close to be coincidental._

 _I’m also enclosing a copy of my hand-written drafts for my articles I’ve written for the trade journal_ Potioneer’s Monthly _and a copy of my latest potions essay for your investigative team to compare. I wrote the articles under the pseudonym of ‘Harold Talbot’ because I felt that my work would not have been given the same due consideration from the editors if I had used my real name._

_The other issue I have with the Headmaster concerns my parents’ Will. The Headmaster was the Witness to the signing and was aware of its contents and stipulations. I had read the Will that was filed in Gringott’s during this past summer and it stated that under NO circumstances was I to be placed with my muggle relatives as they despise everything that has to do with magic and yet, I have recently come to find out, the Headmaster ignored the wishes of my parents’ and placed me with them! During the ten years that I spent with my relatives, I was neglected and occasionally beaten for various imagined infractions. I was worked like a house-elf and punished severely if I didn’t meet expectations. I have also never received any mail from the magical world except for my Hogwarts’ Acceptance Letter._

_I have requested that my Account Manager perform an audit on my family’s vault to see if there was any other foul play that’s occurred since that date. When I went in originally to Gringott’s upon my re-introduction to the magical world, I had to donate a drop of blood to the teller because I never had my key. This now seems to be very unusual and probably illegal as heck._

_I read in the Will that my guardians should’ve been Sirius Black or Remus Lupin. I have no idea as to who either of these two men are. My muggleborn Primary Three teacher told me that Sirius Black had done something awful and was sentenced to prison. Remus Lupin, on the other hand, just simply disappeared without a trace. If it’s possible, I would like you to question both of them and find out their story and reasoning behind their abandonment of me. I read in the Will that Sirius Black had undergone something called “The Godfather Ritual.” I don’t know if it means anything to you but regardless, I’d like an investigation started._

_If it does pan out that the Headmaster has some sort of nefarious reasons behind his treatment of me and my work, I’d like him to prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and a public apology to be published in the_ Daily Prophet _as well as the reasoning for the lawsuit. I’m not interested in a financial punishment so much as just a desire to be left alone while in school and respected by the members of the potions trade in general. If his involvement in my life outside of Hogwarts was because of neglect or something worse then I feel that he should lose whatever control he has over me, be it magical guardianship or something else._

_If you need to contact me, please floo Professor Pomona Sprout here at Hogwarts._

_Thank you,_

_Harry Potter_

_Hufflepuff House, Hogwarts_

* * *

#  **Monday 7 October, 1991 Transfiguration Classroom 4B**

Professor McGonagall had just finished taking the roll call and wondered where Harry Potter was. Just as she was about to send a message to the Infirmary to enquire if her wayward student was there, a glass orb came floating quietly into the room. Warily watching it, as it could be a prank conceived of by the Weasley Twins, she refrained from comment as it floated over to where Mr. Potter normally sat. Upon closer inspection, she spotted a note taped to the orb.

_Dear Professor;_

_I am currently in the Infirmary with a rather severe headache. Madam Pomfrey is attending to me and has “suggested” that I stay for a while. I, however, do not wish to miss your class. I’ve sent this orb to record your instruction for the day. The orb will record sight and sound as if I were actually sitting in my seat so there is no need to alter your speech or lesson._

_Thank you,_

_Harry Potter, Hufflepuff_

Minerva was impressed at Harry’s ingenuity and forethought. This could potentially be a great boon for the students unable to attend classes or events for whatever reason; not to mention teachers who are unable to attend meetings. She made a mental note to speak with Mr. Potter as soon as possible.

At the end of class, the orb floated out the door and headed towards the Herbology indoor classroom and waited outside the door for the rest of the class to arrive. On the other end, Harry was lying in bed nursing a strong Headache Potion; he was also busy working in his _Assistant_ trying to come up with an alternative to improve the taste and effectiveness. He would occasionally glance at the receiving mirror, watching to see when the door would open.

Madam Pomfrey quietly stopped by to check his condition noting that he was lost in deep thought. She glanced at the _Assistant_ and could just make out a copy of the Headache Potion she’d given him. She gave a small smile and nodded, as she understood that he was apparently redesigning the potion.

* * *

Later, after dinner, Minerva approached Harry and asked to speak with him regarding the orb that visited her class earlier that afternoon.

“Mr. Potter. First, let me say that I hope you are feeling better. Second, I’m greatly impressed that you came up with this solution to missing your classes. What do you call it? It is ingenuous and I was hoping that you could make more of them? They’d be very useful to the students and staff that wouldn’t be able to attend classes or other events.”

Harry nodded, “I call it the ‘ _Student’s Helper’_ and sure, I can make more of them. How many would you like?”

Minerva replied, “I was thinking an even dozen? How much would they cost and how quickly can you make them?”

Harry thought for a moment, “It would probably take about two weeks to make all twelve once I receive the modified Remembralls and mirrors from the manufacturer and cost the school twenty Galleons.”

Minerva agreed to the amount and the time given, “Then I shall send you a purchase order for the orbs. To where and whom should I send it?”

“My Gringott’s Senior Account Manager, Sharpclaw, ma’am.” Minerva accepted that.

“You will include the operator’s manual?”

“Yes, ma’am. Each orb will come with a receiver’s mirror that allows the student to send the orb to the appropriate destination as part of the agreed upon cost. Each mirror has a map of the castle superimposed on it when in travel then it will switch to a view of the destination once arrival has been reached. Once all have been made, I will give a demonstration and instructional seminar to all the staff.”

“Thank you, Mr. Potter. That’s all for me. I wish you a good night.”

“Goodnight, Professor.”

* * *

Tuesday morning saw Harry receiving a package from Flourish and Blott’s as well as a package from the Owl Post Office. The books he had ordered from the bookstore, _Introduction to Latin_ and _The Basics of Quill Writing and You_ had arrived and he was eager to begin reading them. The package from the post office was a set of muggle notebooks and disposable ink pens and a nicely made fountain pen complete with a small ink jar. Hermione came over when she saw that he had received books.

“You’re like Winnie the Pooh to the scent of honey whenever someone gets a new book, Hermione,” Harry chuckled while she just scrunched her nose and stuck out her tongue at him.

“How in the world did you get stuff bought from the non-magical world without using a parent or guardian?” She asked.

“I wrote to the Owl Post Office in Diagon Alley and asked if there was a way to convert purchases from one side to the other. They said yes and that there was a fee. All I had to do was to specify what it was I wanted to buy and from where; then send in the money. They have a couple of muggleborn employees that would then go to these stores and get what I needed. It would all be packaged up and shipped out,” he explained.

Hermione was impressed, “Wow, I think I’ll need to remember that for when the holidays roll around. I’m thinking of getting muggle gifts for my pureblood friends. I’ll bet that they’ve never seen half of what’s available for gifts.” Harry shook his head and chuckled again.

* * *

The rest of the week passed by without any other major hitches. Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley continued their rather blustery and frankly annoying daily attempts to befriend him or at least sway his attention away from those Draco or Ron perceived as unworthy of attention. He made his disgust known to both of them as well as their Heads of Houses but neither boy seemed willing to acknowledge or understand that Harry just wanted to be left alone. On Saturday, he made his stand…


	7. Chapter 7

#  **Saturday 12 October, 1991 Dinnertime, Great Hall**

Ron Weasley was sitting at the Gryffindor table practically inhaling his food with little thought of table manners or general eating habits. Halfway through stuffing a whole roll of bread into his already full mouth, a sense of urgency came over him. He slowly stopped chewing and looked up and scanned the room at large. Spotting his target and swallowing his mouth load, he got up and headed over to the Slytherin table. As everyone became aware of the direction the youngest Weasley was heading to, the room became quiet. The Twins had a puzzled look on their faces and were quietly whispering to those around them denying that they had anything to do with…whatever was happening.

Draco Malfoy was sitting at the Slytherin table eating as well but with a more refined manner than Ron. Roughly about the same time that Ron became determined to head over to the Slytherin table, he too was overcome by a sense of urgency. His head snapped up and spotted the Weasley boy rapidly approaching. The others at the table tensed as they awaited the evening’s inevitable entertainment. Draco rose from his seat and threw himself into Ron’s arms. The two boys tried to suck each other’s face off in their desperate attempts to become the dominant kisser. The whole Hall went silent watching in varying degrees of shock and horror as the two First years began to wrestle tongues and wrapping their arms and legs around each other.

There was a loud bang from the Head Table as McGonagall let off a cannon blast with her wand. This caused Draco and Ron to momentarily part from each other and look up towards the front of the Hall with sheepish looks on their faces.

“Messers Weasley and Malfoy!! How DARE you display such disgusting behavior in front of others!” McGonagall roared in anger, “I want the two of you to immediately march yourselves out of this Hall this minute!” Both boys’ faces slowly slid towards realization of what had just transpired, gave each other a look of deep loathing and disgust then ran out of the room amidst the laughter erupting from the other students.

Minerva sat down in a huff and glared over at the Twin Red-headed Menaces, “Weasley Twins! If you had a hand in pulling off this stunt, I shall have you in detention until your sister graduates!” Both Twins were vehemently denying their involvement.

“Get up here the both of you!” she yelled.

Dumbledore then decided to stick his broken beak into the conversation, “Now, now Minerva…”

Minerva whirled on him, “Don’t you ‘Minerva’ me, Headmaster! This is a disciplinary matter and _well_ within my remit!” The twins approached the table and bowed their heads. Minerva called for a castle-elf to bring her a vial of the Junior Veritiserum. The elf popped away and a moment later, the vial appeared on the table. Minerva administered three drops of the potion to each of the twins and asked them again if they had anything to do with the public display of affection between Ron and Draco.

“No, professor…” began one.

“…we had nothing…” replied the other.

“to do with it.” Finished both in stereo.

Since neither of their hair turned the now trademark blinding neon pink, Minerva had to conclude that they were telling the truth. She apologized to the both of them and sent them back to the Gryffindor table. Shaking her head, she happened to glance over at Harry Potter and caught a satisfied smirk on his face. With a subtle gesture, she enquired if it was he who perpetrated the act. Harry quietly nodded his head and motioned that he would speak with her after dinner to explain.

* * *

After dinner came around and Minerva and Harry were in an antechamber just off the Great Hall. Minerva stood stiffly and just merely raised an eyebrow at Harry to begin to explain himself.

“Professor, I was tired of their lame-brained attempts to gain my favor and friendship. Both of them made repeated attempts to gain my attention and yet when I brought the matter to both you and Professor Snape, nothing changed,” he shrugged noncommittally, “I just whipped up a quick Infatuation Potion keyed to each other. The effects will wear off completely in about an hour at which point I hope they’ve learned their lesson. I had a castle-elf leave a note on each of their pillows that stated that ‘tonight’s entertainment was brought to them by myself and that I hope they understand that this will be their last warning to stay away from me and that I’m sincerely tired of their actions and words.’”

Minerva’s attitude changed as Harry explained his actions and motive. She was secretly pleased with the nonviolent method he used to deal with the situation and appalled at herself for not decisively dealing with the verbal abuse from the two others.

“Mr. Potter… I’m… I’m sorry. For what happened and the lengths you had to go to in order to solve this problem yourself. You’re right, I should’ve done more and sooner. Rest assured, that I will be discussing this with not only Professor Snape but also both boys’ parents.” Harry nodded his acceptance of her apology and promise.

“Thank you, professor.”

* * *

##  _**Meanwhile in the Great Hall while Minerva and Harry were having their chat…** _

Albus sat in his throne at the High Table and watched the prank between the Weasley and Malfoy boy being played out in front of them all. Secretly, he was pleased at the response taken to curb their behavior but dismayed that it was most likely the Potter boy who accomplished it. The apparent lack of forgiveness displayed by the boy was rather frightening as was the pleased and smug smirk that graced his face. Harry’s power over others and the prowess displayed while in class reminded him of his other failure with another young prior student. He would have to think about a surefire method to get the boy to come to heel. He must, it was for the Greater Good of the magical world.

* * *

#  **Sunday 13 October, 1991 Just outside the Main Corridor to the Great Hall**

Argus Filch was upset. Really, he was furious. Some miscreant of a student had spilled something on the floor and just walked away without telling anyone. Now it fell to him to clean up after these damn brats. As he was heading to his closest cleaning station, he spotted the Potter boy walking in the opposite direction carrying a mop, broom, scoop and bucket. That puzzled him so he decided to follow along behind the boy.

Harry put down his bucket and soaked the mop in the solution for a moment while containing the spill with a bit of absorbent powder that he had made in his laboratory. Once the powder had absorbed as much of the liquid as possible, he scooped it up and dumped into a bag he pulled out of his pocket. He then took the mop and squeezed out the excess solution and proceeded to mop up the rest. He worked efficiently and quietly, not noticing Filch standing just behind; watching him with a surprised yet pleased look on his face. As soon as Harry finished, he turned around and jumped back in surprise.

“Mr. Filch! You startled me.”

“Potter,” growled Argus, “who told you to clean up this mess?” Thinking it had to be a punishment meted out by a professor.

“No one, sir. It was my mess and therefore fell to me to clean it up. It would’ve been unfair otherwise.” Harry nervously replied as Argus Filch had a legendary temper against the students.

Argus had a myriad of expressions flit over his face. Surprise first then impressed and finally acceptance, “What was that powder you sprinkled on the liquid?”

“An absorbent powder that would contain the liquid and make it easier to pick up. It wouldn’t do to just spread it around with the mop. The liquid is a concentrated form of soap so it would’ve been very sudsy if water was applied and incredibly slippery if spread around. I made it in my laboratory back in my dorm.”

Argus’ eyebrows rose in surprise at the mention of this powder; he never knew that such a product existed. He asked Harry if he could make more of it.

“Sure, it’s no problem. It’s extremely easy to make. I can show you how to do it yourself.”

Argus shuffled his feet and looked down nervously for a moment, “I’m afraid that wouldn’t be possible. I’m…a Squib. Magic doesn’t work with me.”

Harry looked at him with a puzzled expression, “That shouldn’t make a difference. Potions and a few other similar subjects like Herbology, Arithmancy, Astronomy, History of Magic, et cetera have no need for a person to be able to wield magic. You were there for that Muggle Studies demonstration a month ago, weren’t you? Tell you what, let me put this equipment away and you and I can work on the powder making recipe together.”

Argus’ curiosity was piqued so he followed Harry as the latter put away the equipment. The two of them entered Harry’s dorm and for the next hour, Harry instructed Argus on the procedure to create the absorbent powder. The ingredients were simple; the powder was a mixture of decomposed granite ground down with a ‘water-eating’ liquid binder that would increase the effectiveness of the absorption of the granite. The granite could be found at any decent home improvement store in the muggle world or at a rock quarry. The binder had only three ingredients that could easily be obtained from the greenhouses. The whole process from start to finish took no more than a quarter of an hour. The rest of their time together was spent with Harry instructing Argus on how to complete the documentation and notes so he could make it again whenever the need arose. 

When Argus left, he left wearing an expression that few people had ever seen on his face, pride and happiness. He also had a bit of curiosity on his mind. All those subjects that the Potter boy had mentioned, could he really learn them? A trip to the library was now needed.

* * *

Later, Professor Snape caught up to Harry and enquired about the Infatuation potion that he had used on Weasley and Malfoy. Harry told the professor the same thing he had explained to McGonagall. Snape pursed his lips and nodded in understanding.

“In that case, Mr. Potter, I award you five points for the cunning use of potions to solve your problem. Very ingenuous… Tell me, though; how did you manage to dose them during dinner? I never saw you get up from your seat.”

Harry gave him a grin, “Simple. I used one of the castle-elves. I traded a recipe for a sweet that I found in the muggle world that doesn’t exist here for the assistance.”

Severus chuckled lightly, “Was it really that simple? I was under the impression that the elves weren’t to be seen or interact with the students.”

“Normally no, but since Hufflepuff is just across the hallway from the kitchens, we come across them more often so they’re used to us.” Harry replied, “Besides, I told them what was going to happen. They seemed to like the idea of being involved in a small prank every now and then, especially against any of the Weasleys.” Severus just shook his head in mild exasperation and grunted in amusement.

“Very well, Mr. Potter. Have a good day and I shall see you in class.”

“Thank you sir, and good day.”

* * *

#  **Wednesday 16 October, 1991 Landing outside the Third Floor Corridor**

Harry was lying on his back while experiencing a heavy weight pressing on his chest. This heavy weight was also purring and every time he made to shift or tried to get up, said weight growled, dug its claws into him and forced him back down. He lifted his head and glared at the menace.

“Mrs. Norris? Will you please get off of me? I’m sorry that I tried to go down that corridor. I got confused and turned around by these damn stairs,” he pleaded but Mrs. Norris, Argus Filch’s cat, refused to move and just growled and glared at him with her yellow eyes.

“Potter,” came the growling voice of said Argus Filch, “what’s going on here?”

Harry just sighed before he explained to Argus about his mistake about trying to get to the fourth floor but the stairs dumped him off on the third. Harry further explained that Mrs. Norris suddenly appeared and tripped him up then sat on his chest to prevent him from moving.

Argus just laughed uproariously. He was starting to like this boy, “Did you try to explain this to her?”

“Yes! She _still_ won’t move!” Harry grunted, ”She just growls, glares at me and digs her claws in deeper. I don’t understand why, I mean, what could be down there that’s so dangerous that could cause this pretty kitty to be so wicked?”

“Not supposed to tell anyone but in your case, I think it would be okay. There’s a very large three-headed dog in a room at the South end of the corridor. It would be extremely dangerous and potentially deadly if you were to come face to faces with that beast.”

“A dangerous three-headed dog? Here in the castle? What the bloody hell was anyone thinking? I mean, if a student could slip past this furry menace…” Mrs. Norris just gave a short, low growl of displeasure, “then the school could have a lawsuit on their hands if said student were injured or killed!” Harry complained rather loudly.

“I know, lad. It weren’t my idea for that thing to be in here. It was all the Headmaster’s idea. Now, Mrs. Norris, I think you can let him up. He’s learned his lesson.” Argus replied. Mrs. Norris gave one last admonishing yowl and stalked away with her tail held high.

* * *

#  **Wednesday 30 October, 1991 Just after breakfast, Headmaster’s Office**

Albus was annoyed at the world in general. It seemed that his efforts to curb the Potter boy’s popularity in Potions and that blasted _Assistant_ of his had failed spectacularly. The rebuttal argument and article from the boy had generated _more_ interest in the journal rather than the brat just accepting defeat and fading into the background. Perhaps if he were to install a mail redirection ward around the school so that the owls brought Albus the boy’s incoming and outgoing mail first? Even his attempt to get the brat to investigate the third floor corridor failed. Stupid cat and caretaker! They just had to interfere… Albus had to regain control of the boy.

He had a couple of ideas as to what could potentially be of help. One was to set up the Mirror of Erised in an unused classroom and engineer its discovery by the boy. Another was to engineer a falling out between Potter and Snape; _Nah, he couldn’t think of anything off-hand that would cause animosity between the two…wait, maybe leak the knowledge that Severus called Harry’s mother a mudblood during their fifth year together?_ _Eh…maybe another time._ He decided to whip up an alchemical-level potion to gain mental control over the boy. He’d have an elf slip it into the boy’s drink tomorrow night at the Halloween Feast. _Yes, this should do it. Maybe now, the brat will follow the destiny that I’ve been planning for him._ The thought that what he was doing was immoral and potentially illegal never crossed his mind. After all, it was for the Greater Good…

Fawkes was sitting on his perch observing the old man, sadly. In the blazing recesses of the bird’s heart, he watched in despair as his long time companion slid ever closer to the point of no return. What the Headmaster was planning was borderline evil. He had such hopes for Albus in the beginning but Fawkes now wondered if it wouldn’t just be better if he were to sever all ties and search for someone else…

* * *

Halloween was tomorrow and yet Harry couldn’t share in the sense of excitement that had the others in the school experienced. To him, it was just another day and also reminded him that he lost his parents to an evil madman. He approached Professor Sprout just after breakfast.

“Professor? I don’t think I’ll be able to join in the celebrations tomorrow.”

Pomona looked at him in askance, “Are you not feeling well, Mr. Potter?”

Harry took a deep breath and let out a slow sigh, “Not really. It’s just that this will be the tenth anniversary of my parents’ death and I just wish to be alone and spend it as a quiet memorial for them.”

Pomona’s expression changed to one of solemn understanding, “Very well, Mr. Potter. I think that would be a wonderful idea. Please let me know if you need anything?” Harry nodded.

* * *

Hermione approached Harry later in the library and just sat down quietly next to him. He glanced up at her and saw a gentle understanding in her eyes.

“You know?” he asked.

Hermione nodded, “Hm-mm. I heard that you’d be spending tomorrow in memorial for your parents. I just wanted to offer some quiet comfort and friendship today if that’s okay?”

Harry leaned into her and rested his head on her shoulder, tears beginning to form in his eyes, “Thank you, Hermione.” He whispered.

* * *

#  **Thursday 31 October, 1991 Breakfast, Great Hall**

Harry was sitting down at the Hufflepuff table eating his breakfast when the morning post owls arrived. He was wondering why he hadn’t received any response from Director Bones regarding his letter about Sirius Black or the suspicious interest and actions by Dumbledore. Susan Bones was sitting next to him reading her letter from her aunt. He turned to her and asked if her aunt mentioned anything about him.

“Sorry, no but I wouldn’t expect her to. Ongoing cases like that would be kept confidential.” She replied.

Harry pursed his lips in contemplation, “I’m just worried that Dumbledore might try to do something stupid. You remember I said that he had a mail redirection ward placed around my relatives’ house? The only mail I’ve ever received from the magical world is my Hogwarts’ letter.” Susan nodded at the memory of the conversation.

“I still can’t believe that he’d do that, mail redirection is illegal!” she growled.

“What do you recommend I do?” he asked her, “Is there a method of communication that doesn’t rely on owls? Would you be willing to send out a letter to your aunt requesting a face to face interview?” Susan agreed to do that, as the only other method of faster communication was to use the Floo Network but doubted that he’d be able to convince Professor Sprout to use it. Harry thanked her and excused himself to get ready for the day’s classes.

* * *

##  _**In DADA class…** _

He was sitting in his DADA class trying to ignore the pain in his scar every time Quirrel was near him. It seemed to be worse than ever before and wished that he could understand why it was just this professor that caused the pain. He had spoken to the school nurse but she was unable to give a clear reason. She had recommended that he keep a journal of the events surrounding the pain; the where’s and when’s every time it occurred. So with that in mind, Harry pulled out his ever-growing list and made another entry.

* * *

##  _**Later that evening…** _

Harry spent the evening in his room and thought about what he knew and what he had researched about _that_ night ten years ago. He had a decent cry about losing his parents and all of the things that they’d never be able to do together. Professor Snape had gifted him with a picture of Harry’s mother, Lily, when the two of them were still in school and later when she was an adult. He received a photo album of his father and his friends from Hagrid who, in a burst of foresight, had sent away to all of their classmates asking for photos of James and Lily when they were in school and beyond.

His musing and memorial was interrupted by the appearance of the Ghost of Hufflepuff House, The Fat Friar or as he was known in real life, Brother John Kinnan.

“Mr. Potter? I was sent by the Headmaster to enquire as to why you didn’t show up at the feast tonight.”

Harry sniffled a bit, “I asked for and received permission from Professor Sprout to hold a quiet memorial for my parents. They died ten years ago today to stop an evil wizard.”

Brother John nodded sagely, “I know of whom you speak. I understand your desire and shall pass on the message. Should you require any food or drink, just call for one of the elves.”

“Thank you, Brother John.” Harry replied quietly. The Friar then faded from view.

* * *

Ten minutes later, he was again interrupted by the Headmaster as he barged his way into Harry’s dorm room.

“Mr. Potter! Your presence at the feast is mandatory! Now, I shall escort you to the Great Hall myself as you seem fit as to defy my authority.” He roared.

Harry stood up and glared at the Headmaster, “Headmaster, I asked for and received permission from Professor Sprout to hold this personal memorial to my parents. If you have a problem with that, take it up with my Head of House as per the regulations within the Charter!”

“I am the Headmaster, boy. My word is law. Now come along!” Dumbledore reached out and tried to grab Harry by the arm.

Harry quickly backed away from the Headmaster’s reaching grip and ran over to where his potion stores were on the bookcase. He grabbed a red bottle and pulled the cork out then threw it at the Headmaster. The potion splashed all over the Headmaster, soaking his robes and getting into his beard. With another roar of anger, Dumbledore surged forward only to fall onto his face a moment later.

Just then, Professors Sprout, McGonagall and several others came rushing into the room.

“Harry!” exclaimed Professor Sprout, “Are you alright? What happened?”

Harry held up his hand for them to wait and quickly moved over to another bookshelf. He reached up to the top shelf and removed a glass sphere and a storage box. He tapped the sphere with his wand, held it out in front of him and began to speak.

“Professors Sprout and McGonagall, I, Harry James Potter, hereby request that you contact Madam Amelia Bones at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I was just assaulted by the Headmaster; he demanded that I attend the feast despite my declaration that I had permission from Professor Sprout to stay here in my room for the evening. He verbally abused me and made an attempt to grab me and drag me back to the Great Hall. I evaded his grasp and rushed over to my potion stores to grab a vial of a potion I call the ‘Neutralizer.’ This potion acts like a liquid version of the ‘Petrificus Totalis’ charm. The Headmaster shall remain immobilized for the next four hours or unless the antidote of the Mandrake Draught is given.” He intoned.

“Pomona, go and contact Amelia.” ordered McGonagall, “Mr. Potter? Why did you bring down that sphere? What is its purpose?”

Harry was in the middle of securing the sphere in a protective case as well as putting it into the box, “This is a ‘ _Memory Sphere_ ’. Similar in operation to the ‘ _Student’s Helper’_ but instead of relaying what it records to a receiving mirror, it just stores it all internally. All light, sound, magical signatures of anyone within the twenty foot recording area. I always have one setup to record when I’m working or not in the room for emergencies. I think this constituted an emergency. I started working on it after Professor Snape shared that memory of the September staff meeting where I demonstrated the _Assistants._ ”

Minerva was again impressed by Harry’s ingenuity, “How does the recording get played back?”

“Same rune used to project the image as on the _Teacher’s Assistant._ The Memory Sphere has a recording time of twelve hours so there should be no problem of missing evidence. It’s triggered either by unlocking and opening my door or pressing the ‘record’ rune on the gold band.”

“I’m again impressed by your ingenuity Mr. Potter. Will you be offering these for sale as well?” Harry shook his head no.

“Not to the school; at least for a while. I don’t want to go overboard with inventing stuff like this. I want to focus more on my studies and on my Potioneering.” Minerva acquiesced.

Just then Professor Sprout returned with Director Amelia Bones and two Aurors in tow.

“Mr. Potter?” asked Director Bones, “I was informed that you and the Headmaster had an…altercation a bit ago?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Harry again told his story to the Director while one of the Aurors took notes. The other bent down to examine the Headmaster.

“What did you use to immobilize him?”

“I used a potion I developed called the ‘Neutralizer.’ It acts like a liquid form of ‘Petrificus Totalis.’” Harry replied.

The Auror was intrigued, “How do you remedy it and how long does the petrification last?”

“Four hours unless given a dose of Mandrake Draught. That’s the antidote for this.”

“Auror Wainwright, take the Headmaster and lock him in one of the holding cells at the DMLE. Make sure you use the magic-suppressing shackles. We’ll interview him tomorrow,” Amelia instructed, “In the meantime, Mr. Potter, do you have anything else to add?”

“Yes, ma’am. Here’s a Memory Sphere containing the past twelve hours of recorded evidence.”

“Memory Sphere?”

Harry briefly explained the development and operation of the sphere along with an overview of its capabilities. Amelia’s eyebrow rose in fascination and turned to look at Minerva who just grinned in response. The second Auror took the boxed sphere and deposited it into an evidence bag.

“Um… Madam Bones? Since you’re here I was wondering if you had received my letter of inquiry to you regarding the Headmaster’s behavior towards me, the article and my parents’ Will?” Harry asked quietly.

“Yes I did and I’m investigating it. I also received a notice from your Goblin Account Manager, Sharpclaw that Gringott’s is investigating the financial side of the Will. As of right now, I don’t have anything concrete. I shall let you know if anything turns up.”

“What about my Godfather, Sirius Black? Or Remus Lupin? Anything you could share about that?” Harry pleaded.

Amelia sighed, “Sirius Black’s case file is being searched for. For some reason, it appears he was never given a trial just after his capture. As for Remus Lupin, he’s not currently residing in Britain. We sent an owl requesting his presence but it will take time. For right now, try not to worry about your future place of residence. You still have until June before anything needs to happen.” Harry nodded in understanding.

“Thank you ma’am.”

Director Bones and the Auror departed from the room and left via the Floo. Harry in the meantime asked Professor Sprout if he could duck over to the kitchens for a cup of hot chocolate to settle his nerves. She agreed and escorted him over.


	8. Chapter 8

#  **Friday 1 November, 1991 Breakfast, Great Hall**

Harry was sitting dejectedly at the Hufflepuff table, mindlessly pushing his food around. He kept going over in his mind the events of last night trying to understand the Headmaster’s motives, if there were any. Susan slid into the seat next to him and pushed the bowl away from him, causing him to look up.

“Harry, you shouldn’t be beating yourself up about this. Whatever caused the Headmaster to react like that isn’t your fault.”

Harry let out a worried sigh, “I know… I just can’t help wondering what it was that set him off like that? Professor Sprout was here last night and I know that…”

“Harry, shhhh…stop. It’ll all work out. You did the right thing immobilizing the Headmaster and demanding the Aurors.” Harry just bobbed his head in acquiescence.

The post owls arrived and Hedwig landed in front of him. She looked _her_ ‘pet’ over and determined that he needed her care. She hopped over and began preening his hair and nuzzled her head into his while making gentle cooing noises. Harry gave her a weak smile and stroked her feathers. Another owl landed in front of them with a package attached to its leg. Susan reached over and untied it and offered the bird a strip of bacon. The owl took the offered bacon and flew away.

“So what magazine is that Harry?” she inquired as he unwrapped the package.

“Hmmm? Oh, it’s my subscription to _Potioneer’s Monthly._ ” He responded. Just then there was a shriek of excitement from the Ravenclaw table. The two of them looked up and saw Hermione dancing around in joy clutching her copy of the magazine in hand. She spotted Harry and rushed over babbling like mad.

“Harry! Harry! Harry!” she gushed.

“What is it Hermione?” He drawled with a smirk dancing on his lips. He had an inkling of an idea as to what set her off but let her have her fun.

“Our article was published!! I’m a _published author_!!!” she squealed and bounced up and down.

“Congratulations Hermione!” exclaimed Susan, “Quite the accomplishment for a First year student.” Hermione hopped excitedly up and down on her feet and squealed again. She reached over and grapple-hugged Harry before releasing him and bounced her way up to Professor Snape who had just entered the Hall.

Harry glanced over at Susan; “You know that she’ll be quite _perky_ for a while.”

Susan just grinned back, “Ah, let her have her fun. That was a lot of work I saw the two of you put in. You’re already famous for the _Potioneer’s Assistant_ and that whole ‘Boy-Who-Lived’ thing.” Harry just snorted in amusement and went back to his gentle petting Hedwig’s feathers while she continued to groom his hair.

* * *

##  _**In the Greenhouses…** _

Harry arrived in Greenhouse One for that week’s practical. Today they were going to be working with mundane flowers that had medicinal and magical properties. He was busy repotting marigold seedlings into larger pots when Hermione moved up next to him still sporting a huge Cheshire grin on her face.

“Still over the moon from this morning’s excitement, are we?” he asked with a grin of his own.

Hermione just giggled, “I imagine you were the same way when you had your first article published.”

Harry just nodded, “Have you written your parents yet? You can borrow Hedwig if you’d like.”

“Oooh! Thank you Harry. I have written the letter but haven’t had the opportunity to get to the Owlery.”

“No problem. Could you hand me that watering can?”

After Herbology came Potions and Hermione was still riding on cloud nine. Severus indulged her briefly before making her pay attention to her work. When they finished the class, Hermione ran off to the Owlery while Harry returned to his dorm to shower and get ready for dinner.

* * *

#  **Monday 4 November, 1991 Hogwarts Courtyard**

“Hoot!”

“I did not!”

“Prek, _huff_ , hoot!”

“Liar, you know I would never do such a thing. You’re just a grumpy goose in the morning.”

“Harry? Hedwig? What the heck is going _on?”_ exclaimed Hermione. She and a couple of others had heard the screeching and yelling going on and ran to investigate.

“Hoot!”

“Stop it, I’ll explain,” Harry grumped, “Hedwig here, thinks I snuck into the Owlery very early this morning and…harvested some of her flight feathers. Which. I. Did. _NOT!”_

Hermione calmly turned to the owl in question, “Hedwig? What made you so sure that it was Harry that took those feathers?”

“Hoot! Prek! Hoot, hoot, hoot.”

The other assembled students glanced at one another in confusion. Could Hermione really understand what Hedwig was saying?

Hermione nodded thoughtfully, “Ok, I think I see the problem here. Hedwig, just take a deep breath and calm down. First off, Harry doesn’t need to slip into the Owlery at any time to get your feathers, as he would’ve just asked. Second, there are a lot of dark-haired boys in robes walking around this castle. Third and most important, this is _Harry_ we’re talking about. He couldn’t lie to save his life. He’s your chick and I think you were just surprised and lashed out.

Hedwig just glared at Hermione for a moment before bowing her head in shame that she could’ve ever thought that her chick would ever do something so heinous. She looked up at Harry and saw the anguish that splashed across his face and gave a sorrowful hoot in response.

Harry just shook his head and gave her a gentle hug, “I’m sorry too, Hedwig. I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

Justin moved up alongside of Hermione, “How in the world did you understand what the owl was saying, Hermione? I’ve never seen anything like that!”

Hermione gave a small, wry smile, “I’ve wanted to be a veterinarian since I was little and always had the ability to understand an animal’s speech. I can’t speak the language they do, just understand it as well as I’m listening to you. I guess it’s a magical ability? I don’t know. Came in handy, don’t you think?” Justin just laughed.

* * *

#  **Tuesday 5 November, 1991 Infirmary**

DADA was a nuisance in Harry’s opinion. The teacher could barely teach for the horrible stutter he had. On top of that, Harry always developed a headache whenever the teacher, Professor Quirrel was looking away from him. He reached into his bag and pulled out a vial of a strong Headache Remedy potion and swallowed it. The pain went away fairly quickly but there were still pinpricks of it occurring. He resolved to see the school nurse when class let out.

He entered the Infirmary and called out for Madam Pomfrey.

“Yes, Mr. Potter? What seems to be wrong?”

“I’ve been developing severe headaches again in my DADA class. As you suggested, I’ve been keeping track of each and every occurrence. I’ve already had a dose of a Headache Remedy but there are still pinpricks of pain whenever the teacher turns around. I don’t understand what’s causing it; it never happens around any of the other professors, staff or students. I’ve asked him if he wears any cologne or something that might be a potential trigger but he said no, aside from the heavy stench of garlic coming from that turban of his.”

“Do you know where the pain is centralized, Mr. Potter?” Poppy asked.

“Right over my scar and when I lightly touch it, I can feel a slightly sticky residue on my fingers.”

That got her attention and curiosity piqued, “Well, let’s take a look shall we?” Poppy waved her wand over his scar while performing a diagnostic charm, “I’m not picking up anything dangerous but I think that we should contact a Specialist Healer from Saint Mungo’s and hear what they have to say.”

Poppy activated the floo and contacted someone over at the magical hospital in London. A few moments later, a person stepped out of the green flames and dusted himself off.

“Poppy? It’s good to see you again. How are you?”

“I’m fine, Jeremy. It’s my patient whom I’m concerned about.”

The two healers moved up alongside Harry’s bed and Poppy introduced him to Specialist Healer Jeremy Brenner who was the foremost expert in Cursed Wounds.

“Well, Mr. Potter, let’s take a closer look at that scar shall we?” Healer Brenner asked while pulling out his wand and conjured up a quill and roll of parchment. He ran a series of scans and frowned as he read the results on the parchment. Next he muttered something while gesturing with the wand. Harry’s scar lit up like a Christmas tree and excruciating pain lanced through his head.

“I’m sorry for the pain Mr. Potter. It’ll be just a moment longer…” said the healer.

Finally, Healer Brenner stopped his ministrations and Harry flopped back onto the bed panting from the effort and pain. Poppy handed him a Pain Reliever potion and a glass of water. She then turned to the specialist and asked what it was he found.

“Something I’ve only heard about once before and it’s not good news.” He replied, “I think Mr. Potter’s best bet would be for me to contact the Department of Mysteries and talk with one of the Unspeakables. This is _way_ out of my league.”

* * *

#  **Saturday 9 November, 1991 Hufflepuff Common Room**

The door to the Puff’s Common Room opened up and a weary Harry Potter stumbled slowly through. There were a lot of exclamations and yells of concern when the others caught a glimpse of him. Professor Sprout followed him in and gestured for everyone to calm down. She then sent Harry back to his dorm room and told him to get some sleep. Once he trudged off, she turned and addressed the curious crowd.

“Okay everyone, listen up. Mr. Potter has just returned from an arduous ordeal and he doesn’t need anyone pressuring him for information. Just give him some space and time and I’m sure that he’ll eventually open up about what happened this past week.”

With that and nothing else to discuss other than rumors and speculation, Pomona left the room and headed back to her office. She had just closed the door when there was a knock on it. Reopening it, she found Minerva waiting and looking expectantly at her.

“How is he, Pomona?”

“Well, the healers and the Unspeakables say he will be physically fine soon enough. Mentally and emotionally, it’ll probably take at least a week before his mind will recover from…whatever they did to him. I’m still sketchy on the details; all I know is that it had something to do with his scar.” Pomona explained as she settled into her chair and motioned for Minerva to take a seat on another.

Minerva just shook her head sadly, “The poor, wee bairn…”

Pomona looked up at her friend, “Any word from the DMLE regarding Albus?”

Minerva gave an unlady-like snort, “Aye, according to Amelia Bones he’s suffering from ‘stress and overwork.’ I can’t say that I don’t believe that with all of his titles and positions. According to her, Albus reacted like any senior adult would when a child decided on their own to disregard their instructions. Never mind the fact that Harry had permission from you, Albus has it stuck in his head that his word is law and that everyone should be bending over backwards to kowtow to his every wish and demand.”

The two women just sat quietly together contemplating the events of the past week before Pomona turned back with a sly smile on her face.

“Minerva? Do you suppose that Albus was… should we say, ‘less than truthful’ about his responses to Amelia? We’ve known him for a long time and that answer of his just didn’t seem to be honest.”

Minerva’s eyebrow rose in inquiry, “What are you suggesting?”

“I’m suggesting that we introduce Amelia to the delights of the Junior Veritiserum…” Minerva’s lips twitched as an equally sly smirk stole across her face.

“I’ll get right on it.”

* * *

##  _**An hour later in the Infirmary…** _

“Minerva? Are you here?” called out Amelia Bones as she strode into the Infirmary.

Minerva stepped out of Poppy’s stockroom and motioned the other woman over.

“I’m glad you’re here. I have something that will aid you in getting the truth out of Albus. It’s similar in composition and usage as normal Veritiserum but instead of compelling a person to tell the truth, merely turns the person’s hair to a blinding and embarrassing shade of neon pink.”

Amelia laughed at the description to the results of the potion, “How come I’ve never heard of this before? It sounds like it could be very useful.”

Minerva chuckled, “It was developed here by none other than two of our First years, Ravenclaw House Miss Hermione Granger and Hufflepuff House Mr. Harry Potter.”

Amelia’s monocle nearly fell out of her eye when she heard the last name said, “Truly? What prompted them to create that and how?”

Minerva told her the tale and Amelia could only shake her head in mirth, the Weasley Twins were already quite legendary outside of Hogwarts. According to Minerva, there was an article in _Potioneer’s Monthly_ that she would have to read to fully understand the history and development.

“Here, I’ve signed out a vial of what we’ve started calling ‘Junior Veritiserum’ for you to take with you and use on Albus. Just remember, unlike normal Veritiserum, it won’t compel him to answer and cannot be blocked using Occulumency.” Amelia accepted the vial and slipped it into her pocket.

“Now, how do you like that Memory Sphere that you received from Mr. Potter?” asked Minerva, “I was told by him that it’s similar to one of his other inventions, the _Student’s Helper._ ”

“ _Student’s Helper?”_

“Oh, he didn’t tell you about his other creations?” Amelia just shook her head no.

“Well, I must say that Mr. Potter is quite the talented inventor of many labor saving and teaching devices. He’s created, amongst other things, the Potioneer’s Assistant _,_ the Teacher’s Assistant _,_ the Memory Sphere, various potions and co-authored several articles.”

“And he’s just a _First year?”_ Amelia inquired in shock to which Minerva just nodded.

Minerva paused for a moment, “Now that I think about it, all of Mr. Potter’s accomplishments at such a young age could be a contributing reason for Albus’ actions towards the boy. I think the man is jealous of the boy’s rising star.”

“You think Albus would be that petty to be jealous of the accomplishments of an eleven-year old boy?”

“Aye, Albus has had everyone venerating him for so long that the idea of someone else coming up with answers and solutions to everyday problems probably scares him. Whatever the reason may be, it’s something to keep in mind.”

With that, the two women bade each other goodbye and went back to their respective jobs.

* * *

##  _**Meanwhile at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement…** _

Albus jerked awake at the sudden sound of someone banging on the door to his cell. He had recovered from his petrification nearly ten days prior and had a splitting headache the next morning. Now though, it was mostly just the indignity of being in this cramped room with none of his usual stress-relievers.

“All right Dumbledore, time to wake up and face the music!” yelled the jailer.

Grumbling under his breath, Albus shifted himself to a sitting position and put his hands through the opening in the door. The jailer attached the magic-suppressing cuffs and then opened the door to pull him out. He was led to a windowless room and sat down in the chair. Waiting for him was Amelia Bones and another Auror.

“Sleep well, Headmaster?” Amelia asked with a fake smile, “I think it’s time we had another chat regarding your behavior of late of a certain student of yours.”

Albus gave a patronizing smile and a ‘disappointed grandfatherly sigh,’ “Now Amelia, I assure you that there’s nothing wrong with me. Just a bit of overwork is all.”

“Uh-huh. Now let’s begin…” Amelia began asking questions to which Albus tried to lie his way out of. Every time he tried though, his hair would change to a neon pink. He quickly realized that his ‘breakfast’ had been spiked with that Junior Veritiserum that the Potter brat had concocted. Amelia just gave an evil smirk every time he lied and applied more pressure to get him to fess up.


	9. Chapter 9

#  **Friday 15 November, 1991**

It was just after the first Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Slytherin that Harry observed when he got a ‘brilliant’ idea. After spending a bit of time messing around on his _Assistant,_ he dug out his ingredients and started brewing. What resulted was a small cauldron of a glowing green goop that shone brightly in a darkened closet. While the glow wouldn’t last all that long, at least according to his experimentations, he figured it would at least last six hours during the night. He then went back and added some pigments to create a complete set of colors. _‘Hmmm…Red for Gryffindor, Blue for Ravenclaw, Yellow for us Puffs and Green for the Slytherins. Then I think the Quaffle ought to be an Orange color, the Bludgers should be Neon Purple and the Snitch should be a Dazzler. Yup, this ought to work out just nicely!’_

He approached Professor McGonagall first, as she was a known proponent of the game… _’Heh, more like obsessive fanatic…’_ and offered to coat the respective brooms and equipment with the glow-in-the-dark colors for an exhibitionist night game. When Minerva saw what Harry had in mind, she quickly called Madam Hooch and all four Quidditch teams to get their input. Well, it was obvious that the Weasley Twins were all for the idea; the others were a bit skeptical though in the end they decided to give it a try.

The next Saturday evening, all four teams converged on the Quidditch Field for the first test of Harry’s ‘Glow-In-The-Dark Quidditch Match’ and there was already a large amount of other students crowding into the stands. Under close inspection by Madam Hooch, Harry coated the Quaffle, Bludgers and Snitch with their respective colors then used a sleeve with the team’s respective colors and attached to the player’s brooms. He then used a brush to apply the respective team colors to the lettering on the back of their jerseys.

Once that was done, Madam Hooch called for everyone to take his or her places. First up was Slytherin against Gryffindor. The game’s announcer, Lee Jordan explained what the different colors were about and when the referee blew her whistle, the game commenced. It was played just like a normal daylight game but it now had the added difficulty of not really being able to see the players, the ‘streaking effect’ as the balls flew across the pitch and the sudden appearance and disappearance of the Dazzler Snitch.

The game was a short one by design, no points were factored into the end of the year totals towards the Quidditch Cup but it didn’t matter, everyone was having way too much fun. Each game was scheduled only to last two hours then the teams would switch to the next set. By the time that curfew was called, all four teams were exhausted but exhilarated by the outcome. Harry’s glowing color markings were a huge hit and were now going to be featured in future games.

Harry approached his House’s Quidditch Captain, Eric Hoffman, later and offered to make a Memory Sphere so they could record their training practices or even the actual games so they could be played back to analyze team actions and reactions. Eric was deeply moved and grateful that Harry would do this. Hufflepuff hadn’t won the Quidditch Cup in a long time and was always viewed as the weak team in the school. Anything that could help them was a good thing.

“I’ll need that Sphere back at the end of the season though,” Harry stated to which Eric agreed.

* * *

##  _**After curfew had passed…** _

Albus had returned to the school earlier in the evening but avoided everyone as he grumped and stormed his way back into his office. He wanted to change out of his grubby clothes and take a nice, long hot bath and contemplate his next move against the brat. He ranted and raved about the injustices that had been placed upon him and plotted his revenge.

Fawkes finally had enough of the manipulations and machinations of Albus Dumbledore. With a sad trill, the eternal phoenix flamed out of the office and set off for parts unknown.

* * *

It was nearing the end of November when Harry got word that the trial for his godfather, Sirius Black would be held soon. The realization that the man had never had one before shocked the Wizengamot into action as the idea percolated through their minds that if the Heir Apparent of such a powerful family could be tossed into prison without a trial, what could happen to the rest of them? It would set an awful precedent that none of them wanted to contemplate.

Remus Lupin had been found and was brought in for questioning regarding the reason for his absence during the past ten years. It was found Dumbledore had told the man repeatedly that Harry was safe and shouldn’t be disturbed by anyone from the magical world. Remus hadn’t believed that and had searched relentlessly, stopping long enough to get a temporary job to fund his searches. It was to Remus’ joyous relief when he was informed that Harry was indeed safe and currently enrolled at Hogwarts.

Harry also found the Headmaster had taken to, at first glance, stalking him when in the hallways between class or during free times before curfew. Each and every time, the look of anger, disgust and downright hatred washed over the Headmaster’s face briefly before it was hidden behind a mask of genial indifference. It unnerved Harry very much and decided to make a note of each occurrences. If it got worse, then he’d send the list into Madam Bones and let her deal with it.

* * *

#  **Monday 25 November, 1991 Great Hall, Hogwarts**

Amelia Bones sat back in her chair and pondered the implications of some disturbing information that had surfaced in regards to the machinations of one Albus Dumbledore. The questioning session that she had with the man had piqued her outrage when Dumbledore had finally admitted to the fact that he didn’t like Harry Potter being so independent and popular. She couldn’t understand why though and unfortunately without the use of the regular Veritiserum and with his powers of Occulumency she couldn’t get the answer she needed. They eventually had to release him afterwards. She also received a list of some rather nasty occurrences between the two in the hallways of Hogwarts from Harry. It was unfortunate, but until the man laid a finger upon Harry, merely glaring at the boy wasn’t enough to do anything. But she did send a response thanking him for keeping her in the loop.

She had received a letter back on September sixth from all people, Severus Snape, in which he detailed the suspicion that the Headmaster was secretly rerouting money to his own personal account. Severus suspected that the salary normally paid to the History of Magic ghost professor, Cuthbert Binns, was being used for something other than teaching duties because as, Severus stated it, _what use was there in paying a_ ghost _a salary?_ He asked if the money was found, the school board could use the funds to hire a potions professor who could teach the younger years while leaving him to teach the ones who passed their OWLs? She could understand his reasoning, the man was a genius when it came to potions but had little patience dealing with the younger children. Pursing her lips, she decided to write to Susan to gain her niece’s ground level view of what was going on in the school.

Amelia received the reply letter the next day and was horrified by the rumors of a mysterious artifact that supposedly resided behind a locked door on the third floor corridor. She was further horrified and angered by the reasons given by Dumbledore at the Sorting Ceremony that the corridor should be ‘avoided by all those who do not wish to die by a most painful death.’ According to Susan who said that there was a rumor of a large beast that lived behind the door and could be heard growling and scratching whenever someone got near it. Additionally, Susan complained on the poor quality of teaching in Potions, DADA and History of Magic, the condition of the school brooms and how unsafe they were along with a host of other problems.

Now determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, Amelia called together a team of Aurors, cursebreakers, Beast control, and a couple of Unspeakables. It was time for some hard truths and answers.

Director Bones and her assembled team of Aurors, cursebreakers, Beast control and Unspeakables apparated to the gates of Hogwarts just after lunchtime. They headed in and entered the Great Hall. Susan spotted her aunt leading the Ministry group and rushed over to say hello.

“Auntie? What are you doing here?”

“We came by to see what was being contained up on the third floor corridor,” Amelia said, “According to my source, there’s something not…right.” She gave Susan a knowing look.

Dumbledore came striding over with a brief look of annoyance on his face, “What is the meaning of this intrusion, Amelia?”

“We have received intelligence that you are holding something dangerous in this castle, Headmaster. Something that shouldn’t be held in the presence of young students.”

Albus scoffed and waved his hand dismissively, “As long as the children obey my warnings, there’s no danger. Now I think it’s time for you to leave, you’re disrupting the children’s routine.”

Amelia glanced at her colleagues with a disbelieving eye, “Headmaster, your attitude leads me to believe that there’s something you don’t wish for me to know. My team and I will NOT be leaving until you can give us a clear and believable reason for keeping a dangerous artifact in the presence of children and especially my niece. Now, shall we dispense with the bull or do you wish to have another ‘conversation’ in one of our interview rooms?” Albus gave her a glare and a much put upon ‘grandfatherly’ grumble.

Amelia directed the team of cursebreakers and Beast Control to head to the third floor corridor to determine the extent of the rumor. Minerva offered to escort them there and to explain things if necessary. She was secretly happy that things were shaping up as they were. She had told Albus repeatedly that she didn’t want to be party to the ‘whole mess’ but was overruled.

* * *

While Albus and Amelia were arguing, a sphere like the one seen in McGonagall’s class floated up to one of the Unspeakables. The Unspeakable gazed curiously at the sphere and saw that it had a note taped to it asking him/her to follow. With a brief glimpse to gain the attention of his/her colleagues, the Unspeakables followed the orb out of the room and to a small antechamber off the main hallway. Upon entering they found Harry waiting for them.

“Mr. Potter? Interesting method of getting our attention.”

“Um…thanks…sir…ma’am…” Harry couldn’t tell whom he was addressing as the person was covered head to toe in a shapeless robe with their face covered except for the eyes.

“Unspeakable is acceptable, Mr. Potter. You have information for us?”

“Yes, I’ve heard from the other students that behind a locked door on the Third Floor corridor is a Cerberus and that there is a mirror in a unused classroom just off the Library that shows amazing things to those who look at it. I don’t know what it’s all about but I think the Headmaster has been trying to get me to investigate the ‘mystery’ if you will. I have here a list of occurrences and incidents between the two of us since school started. Additionally, I hope that since you’re here, one of you could check to see if the ‘Curse of the DADA Professorship is true and if it could be removed? It’s clear to a bunch of us that Dumbledore is…reluctant…to admit that he needs help.”

“Anything else you feel we should know about?” Asked the Unspeakable.

“Yes, I’ve recently had an examination and extraction by one of your team regarding my scar and I think I should tell you that it only hurts when I’m in the presence of the DADA professor. I don’t know if anything was done but since the man is still here, maybe you could interview him and find out his side of things. There’s something creepy about the guy.”

A pair of Unspeakables left to ‘interview’ DADA Professor Quirnius Quirrel. After a brief “interview,” Quirrel was stunned and “escorted” from the premises while an Auror remained behind to substitute teach the class until his return.

* * *

Minerva led the cursebreakers and Beast Control team to the door outside the Third Floor Corridor where upon opening a simple locked door, they found the Cerberus and quickly subdued the creature. They then followed the leader through the trapdoor and discovered the nature of the other ‘traps’ including a particularly nasty nest of Devil’s Snare! When they finally reached the last room, they discovered that the ‘trap’ was none other than the legendary Mirror of Erised. They were collectively disgusted with the idea that these rooms were ever supposed to capture or even slow down a Dark Lord. One even commented that a first year student would be able to get through all of this! The thought that _any_ of the students could potentially get in and be hurt angered all of them.

Minerva informed the team that the mirror was Dumbledore’s idea of a trap and contained the legendary Philosopher’s Stone and could only be retrieved by someone who wished to find it but not use it for their own gain. One member gazed into the mirror and felt the stone drop into his pocket. An Unspeakable who had joined the excursion took the stone away and secured it for the return to the Ministry. After returning to the upstairs corridor, the Beast Control people prepared to move the Cerberus out. The Devil’s Snare was left to Professor Sprout to deal with. The gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, stood by quietly sobbing at the sight of his precious “Fluffy” being carted away.

The Unspeakable who interviewed Harry asked Minerva about the so-called ‘DADA Curse’ and she replied that no one knew where or how the curse was applied. The cursebreakers examined the school’s wards and found it to be a crazy mess that was in dire need of refurbishing. After nearly sixteen hours of study, they discovered the runes that directed the application of the curse in both the school’s central Wardstone and a stone paver in the center of the DADA classroom. They were able to trace the magic to the Headmaster’s office doorjamb and to the standard contract that all DADA professors signed upon hire. Minerva let out a sigh of relief once the curse had been cleared. Maybe now they’d be able to hire someone competent. The cursebreakers then finished clearing out and restoring the Hogwarts’ wards to the way they were supposed to be. The final report of what was and wasn’t activated was surprising and upsetting to say the least.

* * *

##  _**Later in the day…** _

Albus entered his office after his unscheduled and frustrating meeting with Director Bones. He had a terrible headache and a short temper from all the inane questioning. He called for a castle-elf to bring him a Headache Remedy and whatever was available for lunch.

“Damn that brat! I knew I should’ve Obliviated him when I had the opportunity! I am Albus Dumbledore, the boy should be worshipping me and heeding everything I say like everyone else.” He muttered sulphurously. When Albus called for a staff meeting, he was surprised to learn that one of his professors had been ‘called in for questioning’ and had yet to return.

“Where is young Quirnius, Minerva?”

“No idea, Albus. A pair of Unspeakables took him away while you were in conference with Amelia. They did leave behind an Auror to substitute for the class.” Albus just grunted at that news. He was _not_ happy that a decision was made without his input or approval.

“Fine,” he growled, “let’s begin the rest of the meeting. Any other new business that I should know about?”

When all of the staff had left after the meeting, Albus sat back in his chair pondering what went wrong since the start of the year. It was obvious to him that he was being ‘played’ but for the life of him couldn’t figure out who it was or why. He glanced up to Fawkes’ perch but the phoenix wasn’t there. _Come to think of it, I haven’t seen that flaming pigeon for a while now. What is going on with everyone?_

* * *

Amelia finished reading the transcripts of her meeting with Albus. She had the notes pulled from memory of the impromptu meeting. There was something deeper going on than the mutterings of a man supposedly ‘jealous of the attention given to an accomplished young inventor and author.’ Despite not being a Healer, everything smacked of Albus suffering from dementia or some other mental disability. 

She developed some suspicions as she read the report of the interview of Quirrel. It was determined from a medical scan taken during the questioning; he had a parasitic…something residing in the back of his head. Further investigation revealed it to be a possession of the wraith of Lord Voldemort! Quirrel had been quickly stunned and immobilized then sent down to the depths of the Department of Mysteries for further study. It made her wonder why Albus never mentioned the discrepancy before, he knew the young professor before his sabbatical to gain experience for the DADA position.

Then there was the report from the cursebreakers about the state of the school’s wards. The wards that suppressed violence, anger and aggression had been turned off; the ones controlling mail distribution was rerouted and required a key pass from the Headmaster. There were a host of other problems dating back to nearly the thirteen hundreds as prior headmasters or headmistresses put in their two knuts as to how things ought to be handled.

The ward that detected the presence of Dark objects or spirits was the most troubling. It had been turned off the summer prior to the start of the school year. That suggested that Dumbledore _knew_ about the possession of Professor Quirrel and set Harry and the Stone to be used as bait.

She made the official determination that if she ever got the chance to arrest Albus Dumbledore, he would be required to undergo a Mental Health exam by either the Mind Healers at Saint Mungo’s or by the DoM.


	10. Chapter 10

#  **Tuesday 3 December, 1991 Astronomy Classroom 23**

Harry was taking a pop-quiz given by Professor Sinistra when Minerva came striding in a rather happy mood. She spoke quietly with the teacher while pointing to Harry. He of course, didn’t notice this, as he was busy trying to remember all the names of the moons of Jupiter. Professor Sinistra called for the end of the quiz and collected all the test papers. She then turned to Harry and instructed him to accompany Professor McGonagall to her office. He glanced up in surprise but nodded his understanding. After collecting his gear, he followed behind. Along the way he asked her what was going on but she shook her head and remained quiet.

Upon entrance, he saw that there was someone else in the room waiting for them. He was a young-ish man with sandy brown hair, tired but hopeful eyes and several scars on his face. The man’s eyes lit up when he spotted Harry.

“Hello Harry. I’m relieved to see you again. My name is Remus Lupin.”

Harry perked up when he heard the man’s name. He had longed to meet the man in person to find out why he had abandoned Harry to the ‘tender mercies’ of the Dursleys. Through their conversation, the revelations came that Remus had no choice in the matter because of Dumbledore’s declaration that Harry be separated from the magical world for ‘his own safety and to have a _normal_ childhood away from the fame and excess’ and because of Remus’ ‘furry little problem.’

“Furry little problem?” inquired Harry, “What does that mean?”

Remus snorted, “I know. It makes it sound like I have a badly behaving rabbit of some sort. No, I have a condition that forces me to isolate myself once a month… I’m… a werewolf.” He tensed while waiting for Harry’s reaction.

Harry just gave him a raised eyebrow and a puzzled look, “That’s it? That’s not a good enough reason to keep us apart.” Remus was perplexed at Harry’s blasé attitude. He glanced over at Minerva who was trying rather unsuccessfully to hold back her laughter at the situation.

“I don’t understand Harry. Most people would be disgusted by that news.” He said.

“Humph, I’m not ‘most people,’” replied Harry, “Besides, there’s a preventative cure that would allow you to retain your mind during the transformation.”

Remus pursed his lips and nodded, “Yes, the Wolfsbane Potion. But it’s very expensive and not always readily available.” Minerva let out a strangled giggle at the impending answer she knew that Harry was about to give.

Harry smirked at Minerva then turned back to Remus, “You’ve traveled in the muggle side, right?” Remus nodded, “Have you had to use their medicines?” Remus shrugged and nodded again, “then you should be familiar with the antihistamine known as Benadryll?”

“I’ve heard of it. Why?” Remus said confusedly.

“Because Benadryll is the muggle alternative to the Wolfsbane potion and a heck of a lot cheaper per dose. The cost of a well-made batch of Wolfsbane would cost you about one hundred fifty Galleons, right? Well, a single dose of Benadryll will cost you only two Sickles and provide the same benefits as well with a strong pain reliever thrown in as well.”

The stunned look on Remus’ face as realization set in was enough for Minerva to lose her fight with controlling her amusement. She slid off her chair laughing her butt off as Remus struggled to comprehend the implications and possibilities of this news. When she had recovered enough control, she filled him in on Harry’s accomplishments and inventions. Remus could only sit there looking dumbfounded while Harry just gave him a shy smile in return.

The three of them continued to talk about Harry’s past and also his future plans. With the realization that Remus could now control the werewolf a heck of a lot cheaper and easier than before, he offered to have Harry join him at his home for the Christmas break. Harry glanced over at Minerva for her approval; she nodded her acquiescence and he burst out with a smile. She told him that he would need to let Professor Sprout know about his plans so the arrangements could be made.

They finished up their conversation so Harry could get to lunch while Remus headed home to prepare for Harry’s arrival during the break.

* * *

##  _**Down in the Great Hall…** _

When Harry arrived at the Great Hall, he found Hermione and told her the great news about his upcoming holiday plans.

“That is great news Harry! I’m happy that you’ve found someone that can take you away from those awful relatives of yours.” She said happily.

“I know. I just hope that the Headmaster won’t try to interfere. The man creeps me out with the way he’s been acting.” Harry replied, “I can only hope that Director Bones can shed some light on his motivations.” Just then there was a commotion over at the Gryffindor table. The two of them watched as Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley started yet _another_ argument over who was entitled to be the ‘best friend’ of Harry Potter and devolved into trading insults about each other’s families.

Raising an eyebrow in bemusement, he looked over at Hermione and shook his head, “You think they’d have learned to stay away from that first topic. I want nothing to do with either of them.”

“Peas in a pod, the both of them. I sure hope they eventually grow up,” concurred Hermione, “you think we ought to intercede with another potion treatment?”

Harry shook his head negatively, “No. Let Professor McGonagall handle it as part of her job as Deputy Headmistress. As long as they don’t come over here and bother me, I want no part of it.”

Harry spotted Neville as the boy entered the Great Hall and waved him over, “Neville! How are things going now that you have a proper wand?”

Neville smiled, “Much better thank you. I love it and my skills have greatly improved.”

Hermione lazily gestured over to where Ron and Draco were being pulled apart from a minor scuffle, “What set them off this time?”

Neville just rolled his eyes, “No idea but then it doesn’t take much to set off Weasley’s jealousy. The git has no filter between his mouth and his brain. He’s lazy and is constantly trying to get the others to do his homework for him. I’m this close to telling McGonagall about his actions towards the others but I don’t want to be known as a snitch. I can’t go to our prefect as it’s his elder brother, Percy.”

Harry shook his head, “I think you should still say something, Neville. If you don’t then the problem can’t be solved and everyone will just end up being miserable. It’s not fair to the others in your house.”

“Spoken like a true Hufflepuff, fair play and equality,” quipped Hermione with a smirk. Harry playfully bumped her shoulder with his.

“So, Neville. Now that Professor Snape is no longer treating non-Slytherins with contempt… or at least anyone not named Weasley, how are you doing on your potions work?” Harry asked. Professor Snape had long since modified his teaching method to be more…open and instructional on proper equipment usage.

Neville shrugged, “It’s going alright, I guess. I’m still nervous around him but I’m getting better. Oh! I wanted to ask you if those bids came through to manufacture the _Potioneer’s Assistants_ yet.”

Harry nodded, “Yup, just last week. The first batch ought to be on store shelves by the end of December at the earliest or by mid-January at the latest. The store that I contracted to sell them first is Slug and Jiggers, so you should owl them to reserve a copy.”

Neville bobbed his head in acknowledgement, “How much do they cost?”

“Six Galleons unless you buy in bulk which I don’t think you’d want to bother with.” Neville declined with a smirk. “You should’ve seen the look on Professor Snape’s face when I told him the release date. I thought he’d dance a jig right there in class.” Harry chuckled at the memory.

Harry turned to Hermione, “Speaking of that journal, how is yours holding up? Any problems that I need to address?”

“Nope, everything is working beautifully. I was thinking of decorating the cover so that way there’s no possibility of someone mistaking it for theirs.”

“Oh? What are you going to do? Slather a layer of sequins and glitter all over it?” quipped Neville with an exaggerated look of innocence on his face.

“Oh, shush you,” mock-glared Hermione, “No, I was thinking of embossing my name on the front cover and using the imprinting lock charm to open only to my magical signature.”

“Similar to those on our trunks?” Neville asked and Hermione nodded, “Wow, I didn’t know you were that advanced in Charms.”

“Ravenclaw, remember? We love to read ahead.”

“Uh, Hermione? Why not tell him the truth?” Harry grinned knowingly as he turned back to Neville, “Said locking feature is a standard part of the ‘Administration and Security’ function in the journal.” Hermione just bobbled her head as she looked away from the two boys and sheepishly blushed. Both boys just chuckled at her embarrassment.

* * *

Harry wrote to the manufacturers later that evening requesting the first ten _Assistants_ that came off the production line and if he could have numbers one through three with the names ‘Severus Snape, Neville Longbottom and Poppy Pomfrey’ in gold lettering, respectively as soon as possible. He also told them to take Neville’s name off the official request list from the apothecary.

The next day, Harry was waiting for Hermione to join him for lunch in the Great Hall but she was nowhere to be found. He hoped that she was okay and was merely talking to a teacher. Malfoy had been on a tear lately about the muggleborns infesting the school and the need to clean out the ‘mudblood filth.’ Harry heard it was just a rant that was started because of the results from the latest test in Transfiguration but with that git, who knew what could happen? He pulled out his _Assistant_ and clicked on the ‘Administration and Security’ tab then brought up a feature that he had developed within the past month, a chat function that allowed text communication between users. He wrote in the dialogue field, ‘ _Where are you? Are you okay? I’m waiting in the Great Hall, Harry.’_ Then he hit the send button. When Hermione’s journal received the text it would vibrate and hopefully she would respond.

It took a few moments but finally his buzzed in return. He opened the cover and saw the message, ‘ _Harry? I’m okay, coming down the Grand Staircase. See you soon. Hermione.’_ He breathed a sigh of relief and when he spotted her coming down the stairs, he rushed over and brought her into a hug.

“I’m relieved that there wasn’t a problem. I thought that Draco would’ve taken his anger over the results of the last Transfiguration test out on you. I was thinking that maybe I should dose him with Junior Veritiserum and let him try to lie his way out. He’d be glowing pink all day long.” Hermione chuckled at the mental image that conjured.

“Thanks for the concern Harry but I can protect myself. He can talk all he wants but he knows that I’m quick on the wand and know a few offensive spells that really hurt. Now tell me about that chat feature. I didn’t know that the _Assistants_ could do that.”

“I only finished the test version last month and I uploaded it to yours last week. I wasn’t sure if it would work but apparently it does. It works on the same principle of what’s known in muggle physics as ‘quantum entanglement.’ You ever hear of it?” he replied and she nodded, “The magical version is called the Protean Charm and is going to be a standard feature in all new _Assistants_ in a new tab called ‘Communications.’ I’m hoping that with this new feature it will allow Potion Masters, students and anyone else who has the _Assistant_ to share information and ask questions easier. The normal way is to wait for the next issue of _Potioneer’s Monthly_ to come out.”

Harry eyed her briefly and changed the subject, “So what sort of offensive spells do you know? Care to share them?”

Hermione gave him an evil grin, “Well, I know a spell that acts like a vise grip on a target and the squeeze pressure can be altered with a modifier word. There’s the _Glacius_ _Charm_ that causes the target to freeze solid like a block of ice is surrounding it. Now imagine if either one was directed at an annoying boy’s…equipment.” Harry just flinched and gave her a pained smile.

“Yeah… I can just imagine what the results would be like,” he said in a strangled sort of voice, “Have you had to use either on him yet?”

“Not yet, but I’m sure that before I graduate I’ll have to introduce him or any other annoying boy to them.” She responded with the same evil smirk.

“Have you considered teaching both to other girls so they could protect themselves?” he asked.

Hermione patted him on the shoulder, “Oh, Harry… those two charms are some of the first things girls learn after entering the school.” Harry just nodded with the same pained expression on his face.

“Getting back to the chat thing, what’s the range of the entanglement?” Hermione inquired curiously.

“Well, the tests have been successful sending and receiving between here at the school and the manufacturing plant in London. I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t work around the globe but I don’t have anyone that has an _Assistant_ that far away. I suggested that one of the managers of the plant take a journal and go on a ‘research mission’ but I haven’t heard back one way or the other.” He shrugged noncommittally.

* * *

#  **Thursday 5 December, 1991 Conference Room 1E**

Harry had received a rather mysterious message during the morning post owl rush. It was a short missive that requested his presence in this very room during the lunch break. Someone with the single name of ‘Croaker’ signed it. He shrugged his shoulders and figured _why not?_

At the appointed time, he walked into the room and found that he wasn’t alone. A… _man…woman…_ Unspeakable was waiting for him.

“H-Hello, Unspeakable. Will…will Croaker be joining us?” he stammered nervously.

“I am Croaker, Mr. Potter. It’s nice to see you again since our last…ahem, meeting.”

“What is it that you needed from me?”

Croaker pulled out a rolled up parchment from a pocket and handed it off to Harry, “What you have there is a Writ of Consent that authorizes the Department of Mysteries to search out and destroy the one known as Lord Voldemort or any other sobriquet he might be going by.”

Harry read through the Writ and looked back up at Croaker, “Why is this necessary? I mean, I understand the general concept of a Writ… but….”

Croaker nodded understandingly, “When we were interviewing Quirnius Quirrel, we discovered that he was being possessed by the spirit form of Lord Voldemort. Voldemort had learned that the Philosopher’s Stone was being held here in the castle and made an attempt to steal it for his own use. By alerting us as you did, we were able to capture the essence of the spirit as well as the body used to contain it. What you hold in your hands will allow you to fulfill a prophecy that was given in the months proceeding your birth. Have you had the opportunity to hear the prophecy?”

“Didn’t even know that one existed. Please, go on.” Harry growled.

“We were able to use Quirrel as the vessel of the Dark Lord to retrieve the prophecy orb. The collection of said orbs are restricted to those who are listed in the prophecy. Now for the prophecy, it states: ‘ _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches; Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies; And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not; And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.”_

“Interesting,” Harry slowly drawled out, “So what sort of marker is there to prove that I’ve completed this prophecy?”

“In the Department of Mysteries, there is a room called ‘The Prophecy Hall’ where there are orbs that contain a multitude of prophecies. When the orb goes black, the prophecy is completed. By signing that Writ, you are completing the part where it says ‘ _either must die at the hand of the other.’_ By your hand, you are ordering his death.”

Harry nodded thoughtfully for a moment then pulled out a quill and inkpot and signed the Writ. With a golden flash of light, the Writ disappeared and a copy appeared on the table.

“Let me guess,” Harry said, “One for my records?” Croaker nodded.

“So what happens if Voldemort turns out not to be the _only_ Dark Lord? Does the orb stay lit?” Harry asked as he folded up his copy of the Writ and put it in his pocket.

Croaker tilted his head, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, Dumbledore. If you view everything the man has said or done since he became an adult, has been…manipulative. I’ve noticed it and so has a bunch of others that whenever he says something about ‘The Greater Good’ someone is, has or will be getting screwed over. Plus, those of us who enjoy reading magical history have discovered that the phrase ‘Greater Good’ was the slogan for Grindlewald during the ramp up to World War Two and is supposedly written above the door to the prison he built.”

“Interesting insight, Mr. Potter. What else do you have on this topic?” Croaker inquired.

“Well, my friend Hermione Granger of Ravenclaw House came up with a scenario and the explanation is rather chilling. Imagine walking into a room where you find two other people on opposite sides. On one side, you have someone sitting quietly, ignoring everything else in the room. On the other side, you have a lunatic banging on the wall screaming that ‘he’s gonna kill the next idiot who looks at him!’ Who are you going to be paying more attention to? In the meantime, the quiet one sneaks up from behind and slits your throat. Grindlewald and most recently Voldemort have been the loud lunatic banging on the wall while Dumbledore has remained in the background as an _educator,_ shaping the minds and actions of multiple generations of people. A word here, an introduction there and pretty soon everyone no longer questions Dumbledore because he’s the one who got them their first job or introduced them to the love of their life.”

Croaker thought pensively as Harry continued to explain the finer points, “People have been venerating him for so long for _one_ thing that they’ve forgotten he’s still a man and not a god. Then during the war with Voldemort, he led the fight to combat him and was used to the population just throwing their hands up and letting him make all the heavy decisions. Right now, he thinks he’s Merlin’s Gift to Magic and his actions when viewed through a muggleborn and raised eyes smacks of a Dark _Light_ Lord. Someone who has been blinded by the good intentions and ideals of their original message and cannot face the fact that there might be someone else who has the ability to think on their own or come up with an idea that might work better than his.”

“Is this why the two of you have had such friction in the past? Yes, I know about the article written by Ms. Skeeter regarding your journal.” Croaker asked.

“I think so. He’s just so stubborn that there might be another rising star and feels that in order to stay on top, he must trample others into submission.”

“I will have to think more on this. Until then, good day Mr. Potter.”


	11. Chapter 11

#  **Monday 16 December, 1991 Severus Snape’s Office**

Harry knocked on Snape’s office door after classes had released for the day. Tucked under his arm was a gift-wrapped package and he hoped the man was in his office.

“Enter,” Harry heard Severus call out.

“Professor? I just wanted to give you an early Christmas present as I’m not sure as to how to send them from home.”

Severus’ eyebrow rose in curiosity. It was an unusual situation that any student would give him a gift. He took the wrapped package from Harry and tore off the paper. When he saw what was inside his hands began to shake slightly.

“Mr. Potter…Harry? My…own _Potioneer’s Assistant_?” He stammered.

“Yup. It’s the latest version that includes a chat feature that will allow communication between two users nearly instantaneously. I’ve already taken the liberty to upload all of my notes, recipes and ingredients into the database…” Harry trailed off at the end, nervously waiting to see what Severus’ reaction would be.

Severus stared at the journal a bit longer, a tear forming in his eyes, before getting up and moving around the desk. He knelt down and enveloped Harry in a strong hug as thanks for gifting him something so valuable.

“Thank you…Harry. I’m incredibly honored that you’d give me one of these.”

“You’re welcome, sir.” Harry took the journal back and opened it up to the introduction page and with his finger pointed to the production number. In gold lettering it read, ‘Severus Snape #00001.’ He gave Severus a grin and took his leave.

Severus in the meantime began scrolling through all the different tabs and perused through the database, mesmerized by the contents within. He vowed to himself again that he would never view Harry as merely the spawn of his hated, long-dead nemesis but as the gifted son of his childhood love. ‘ _Lily, you’d be so proud of him.’_

* * *

#  **Monday 23 December, 1991 Headmaster’s Office**

The students were getting prepped to leave for the Christmas break and Severus sincerely wished he was amongst them as well but no, Dumbledore demanded his presence. Ever since the man had returned from being detained back by the DMLE back at the end of last month, he had been increasingly…disturbed.

“Severus! There must be something I can do to get the Potter boy back under my control. I do not like this independence he’s been showing this year. I want him meek and pliable so he can fulfill the destiny I have planned for him. It’s for the Greater Good that he not have hope for a future!” Albus ranted as Severus entered the Headmaster’s office.

Just then his _Assistant_ buzzed quietly in his pocket. Slowly and carefully, he pulled it out and opened it up to the Communication page. There, scrawled on the page was the message, ‘ _Professor Sprout is looking for you, saying something about needing your help with dealing with another fight between Weasley and Malfoy. I swear those two ought to just get a room...’_

He quietly snorted then wrote back, ‘ _I’m in a meeting with the Headmaster. He’s ranting about you again. Says your popularity is something that he cannot abide by. He’s unhappy that you’re more popular than he is these days and have been since the start of the school year.’_

The next message nearly had him laughing, _‘Twit. Maybe he ought to get off his wrinkly butt and create something revolutionary like I did. Okay, be safe and I’ll let Professor Sprout know about your predicament.’_

Severus just then had a brainwave, he wrote back _‘Do you have any more of those Memory Spheres available? I need one quick as possible. If you do, call for a castle-elf and have it deliver it to me and quietly.’_

A moment later a sphere appeared in his lap. He quickly tapped the ‘record’ rune with his wand and turned back to Dumbledore who had begun pacing behind his desk and muttering sulphurously.

“Sir, what did you mean about what you just said? His destiny? Why would you want the boy to be meek and pliable? Wouldn’t it be better for him to be trained so he can deal with the threat of the Dark Lord as you’ve so often said he’d return?” Severus slyly inquired.

* * *

Not realizing he was being set up, Dumbledore expanded upon his earlier rant about how, through his own machinations, he had engineered for young Severus to overhear the first couple lines of a prophecy that had been given to him by the Divination teacher, Sybil Trelawney. Snape started glowering at the man at that point, hurt by the betrayal. Dumbledore had heard the prophecy in his office but quickly put Trelawney under the Imperious Curse and set her up at the Hog’s Head pub in Hogsmeade. His reasoning for that was Albus needed something to finally win the war that was raging at the time. He then crowed upon the fact that he had convinced the Potters to go into hiding under a Fidelius Charm knowing full well that the Potter’s Secret Keeper was not Sirius Black like everyone thought but in reality was Peter Pettigrew. Dumbledore laughed about how it was so easy to cast a mild Compulsion Charm on Sirius to take revenge and go haring off after Pettigrew.

Dumbledore cackled with a maniacal look on his face as he related that he had successfully pulled the wool over the eyes of the Ministry and the idiots of the general population about that little known fact. He then had Sirius dumped into Azkaban without a trial so Albus could illegally place the boy at his aunt’s house and erect blood wards to keep others out until it was deemed time by himself to bring Harry back into the magical world. He planned on having Harry kept magically and knowledgably weak so he could be offered up as a lamb to slaughter. Then Albus could swoop in, destroy Voldemort and Albus’ star and political power would never again be questioned.

Albus also gleefully spoke about pulling a fast one on the Goblins, instructing them to transfer money and artifacts out of the Potter family vault and transferring it to his own. After all, it wasn’t like the boy would ever need to know how wealthy he was. Severus then asked Albus about his reasoning behind keeping Harry’s heritage from him. Albus casually replied that the Potter role in the magical world in general and the Wizengamot specifically would’ve given the boy more power, influence and friends than Albus wanted him to have. The Potter boy was _his_ weapon against Voldemort! What was his happiness or well being compared to that of the Greater Good?

Severus quietly asked the Headmaster to explain his ideal of the Greater Good. The revelation of that topic was enough to get Severus’ stomach to turn. The idea to rule over the muggles and to force them to submit? It was straight out of the playbook by Grindlewald back during the Second World War!

“When Tom returns,” ranted Albus, “as I know he will, Harry needs to be in the mindset to willingly sacrifice himself as to weaken Tom which would then give me the opportunity to rectify my mistakes from decades past. I had already defeated one old friend and colleague; I didn’t need another upstart muscling in on my accolades and adulations! He had too many awards to begin with! Prefect, Head Boy, Winner of Special Services to the School, Bah! Of course, as the Vanquisher of the Dark Lord, my influence over the magical world would be unparalleled. No one would question my motives ever again! So the brat has to stay with relatives who don’t love him or care for him? So what if I have to wreck his reputation on the creation over the _Potioneer’s Assistant?_ What was the happiness and well being of one boy in comparison to ‘The Greater Good?”

Severus listened on in increasing horror at the demented ravings of the Headmaster, silently thanking Harry for creating these Memory Spheres. He hoped to all that was holy that the sphere was recording everything properly. He was having a hard time accepting that the man everyone thought was the ‘Leader of the Light’ could be so… Dark. Severus wondered what it was that caused the Headmaster to finally snap. It sounded like the old man hadn’t really gotten over the fact that the war was over. He hoped that he could get away quickly enough to send the sphere to Director Bones at the DMLE before too long. This was huge!

* * *

##  _**King’s Cross Station, London…** _

The train pulled into King’s Cross Station promptly at five p.m. Harry helped Hermione with her trunk and let Hedwig out to fly home. Once they were through the portal, Hermione let out a squeal of delight when she spotted her parents and ran over to them. Harry spotted Vernon and approached carefully; it had been a while since he had dosed the Dursley family with a mood-altering potion and was a bit fearful of the treatment he might receive.

“Uncle Vernon? H-how are you?”

“Not bad, traffic was a bit heavy but nothing I couldn’t handle… listen, I have a question for you,” Harry perked up at this in shock, it was an unusual thing for Vernon to be this calm let alone asking him a question without being under the influence of a Draught, “Would you happen to know anyone in your world’s law enforcement? I think our house may have been broken into by a…magical.”

“Uhh, yeah I do. The Director of Magical Law Enforcement told me how to get in so I can show you the way to the visitor’s entrance and take you to her. Do you know if anything was damaged or anything?” Harry asked.

“That’s the thing, there’s nothing stolen or broken. It’s more like a feeling that wasn’t there before you left. Since you’ve been gone, my anger towards you has increased; I’ve been getting thoughts of violence towards you, things of that nature. I know that you’d been giving us Calming Draughts before you left.”

“Y-you _knew_?” Harry stammered nervously.

“Hm-mmm, there had been times when I’d arrive at work and the stress of the job or the workers just wouldn’t get to me. It took Pet and I a while to figure it out but after you’d gone to that school, it became clear to us. Don’t worry, I understand why you did it and frankly, I’m grateful. My doctor has even commented on how low my blood pressure had been during that time.” Vernon replied.

So Harry guided Vernon to Whitehall and ushered him to one of the iconic London red telephone boxes. Once inside and the door closed, Harry picked up the receiver and dialed the number for the Ministry of Magic. An automated voice called out and asked for their names and destination.

“Harry Potter and Vernon Dursley here to see Madam Amelia Bones regarding a potential magical home invasion.” Two badges slid out of the coin return slot. Each one held the name of each of them and an abbreviated reason for their visit. The voice reminded the visitors to stop by the security desk once inside then the booth began to descend into the ground.

“Interesting method of getting people into the building, Harry,” Vernon commented dryly.

Harry just shrugged his shoulders, “Hiding the portal to the train platform is just as bad. They could’ve built their own station and hidden it behind wards rather than try to squeeze it into King’s Cross. This is no different.”

* * *

They reached the bottom of the lift and exited into the Ministry Atrium. Both were amazed and rather impressed by the grandeur of the scene. Moving stars and messages floated around the ceiling, the walls covered by impressive slabs of marble and bordered by gold. A central glass dome added to the brightness and open-air feeling despite being underground. There was a golden fountain in the center that portrayed a wizard, witch, goblin, centaur and house-elf. A bank of fireplaces lined one wall and green flames were occasionally spitting out incoming witches and wizards.

The two of them approached the security desk and requested a visit with Madam Bones saying that it was a matter of urgency. They were escorted to the waiting area outside her office where it only took about five minutes before being ushered inside.

“Mr. Potter, Mr. Dursley, welcome. Mr. Dursley, I am Amelia Bones, Director of the Magical Law Enforcement. Judging by the looks on your faces, it’s your first time to the Ministry?” They nodded, “What is it that I can help you with?”

Vernon explained the events that had occurred over the past month and the resulting emotions and thoughts that had affected him and his wife towards Harry. He pulled a cassette tape out of his jacket and said that after the first attempted break-in, he had a security camera installed in a hidden spot and managed to get the perpetrator on tape. Amelia was pleased that Vernon was proactive to come to her with this evidence rather than trying to handle it himself. In her professional opinion, he would’ve had a impossibly difficult time in subduing a magical attacker.

Amelia set up a muggle video player and television, explaining to Harry and Vernon that sometimes they had to view recordings from the security cameras that were placed around the city and therefore, it paid to have one of these units available.

They watched the tape and to Harry’s horror and disgust, it was the Headmaster! They could see him waving his wand and placing a rather hideous looking vase on the mantle then apparated out.

Amelia sat back in her chair after making a copy of the tape and handing the original back to Vernon, “So is it your wish that we at the DMLE do something about this?” She gave both of them a pointed look.

Harry picked up on this right away, “Madam Bones, as the last surviving Potter, it is my official wish that this department utilize whatever resource you have to prosecute Albus Dumbledore for breaking and entering, setting illegal wards, muggle-baiting, and whatever else you can charge him with. This is a clear threat to myself and my family.”

Vernon just gave Harry a bemused look, turned back to Amelia and agreed, “What he said…”

“Ok, then,” confirmed Amelia, “I shall have a curse and ward-breaker come to your home as soon as possible to check over the situation. Upon their recommendations will be our next course of action. The video alone is rather damning evidence but we should do this by the book.”

* * *

#  **Tuesday 24 December, 1991 Dursley Residence**

On Christmas Eve, Harry wrote a letter to Neville wishing him a Happy Christmas and that he no longer needed to have his name down on the waiting list at Slug and Jigger’s Apothecary for the latest version of the _Potioneer’s Assistant._ He had wrapped up the gifts and sent them out with Hedwig that afternoon. He gifted Neville and Madam Poppy Pomfrey a _Potioneer’s Assistant_ , a _Teacher’s Assistant_ to all of his professors and a _Student’s Helper_ to Amelia Bones.

A Ministry curse and ward-breaker showed up just past eleven in the morning the same day and began casting diagnostic charms. The results were rather disgusting and shocking. There were multiple wards set up and keyed to Harry. There was a mail-redirection for any owls other than Hogwarts and Hedwig, there was a ward setup to prevent any magical with ill-intent from getting on the property, there were a host of sensor wards to inform the recipient of the condition of the inhabitants and most horrific, at least to Harry, was a ward emanating from that ugly vase that would cause the inhabitants to have angry and violent thoughts and feelings directed towards Harry.

“I got a question, sir,” Harry asked politely, “how are all these wards and curses powered? Is there a magical power source nearby?”

“That’s one of the things that really disgusted me when I ran the diagnostics. Everything is being tied to your magical core. In essence, _you_ are the magical power source. I would highly recommend that you get yourself over to Saint Mungo’s and have them check you out for anything malicious.”

“I was already seen by someone at the Department of Mysteries for things involving my scar, sir. Do you still see my core powering these bad things?” Harry asked.

The curse-breaker ran a different diagnostic over Harry and grimaced, “Yup, I’m still detecting something. I’m still recommending that you go to the hospital as soon as you can.” Harry nodded sadly.

The curse-breaker finished up his sweep and began dismantling the wards and curses currently in place. Harry asked him if he would leave the mail-redirection ward up and have the mail rerouted to the DMLE and have it ‘Attention to Amelia Bones’ so it could be checked for anything dangerous before being sent onwards. The breaker agreed and set about his work. It took the better part of three hours but it was all finished and Harry and the Dursleys gave their thanks to the breaker.

Harry had received instructions on how to summon the Knight Bus. Once the breaker left, Harry stood out on the curb and held out his wand arm. There was a loud bang and a violently purple triple-decker bus pulled up to a stop.

“Welcome to the Knight Bus, your rescue for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike and I’ll be your conductor for this trip,” announced a pimply-faced boy just out of his teens.

“Hi, how much to get to Saint Mungo’s?” Harry inquired.

“Eleven Sickles.” Stan replied.

Harry handed over the money and climbed aboard. The trip was one of the most harrowing experiences that Harry had ever had. The driver couldn’t seem to stay in a straight line, weaving in and out of the road. The speed at which they were driving hat was almost as fast as an airplane! Harry held onto a railing for dear life yet still got knocked about as the bus sped its way through traffic. They arrived in record time and Harry waved good-bye to Stan and the driver. He hoped that he wouldn’t have to go through that again. He would take the normal bus line home. He entered the hospital and got seen by Healer Jeremy Brenner again. He explained what the curse-breaker had discovered and so sat through another round of diagnostic charms. Fortunately, there wasn’t anything life or magically threatening but Jeremy was able to remove the Charms and bindings on his core. He was warned that his magic might fluctuate a bit now that the bindings were removed so to keep the magic casting to a minimum for at least a week. After finishing up, he grabbed the normal local bus back to Privet Drive and settled in for the night, relieved.

* * *

#  **Wednesday 25 December, 1991 Dursley Residence**

Harry woke up early and started getting ready for the day. He wanted to get over to Miss Honeybloom’s house as soon as possible. She had sent him a letter near the beginning of December inviting him to spend Christmas Day with her and that she had a surprise to tell him. He made a quick breakfast and bolted it down as fast as he could without getting sick. His aunt had left him a short list of chores for him to do and so with a final gulp of milk, he got started by dragging out the trashcan to the backyard to be scrubbed out.

Finally by ten o’clock he was done, took another shower and put on his nice clothes then headed over to his favorite teacher’s house. He was glad to have been able to still write letters to her since arriving at Hogwarts. If it weren’t for her, Hedwig would’ve been bored silly. He occasionally contacted his Goblin business manager but even that was irregular. Even Hermione, with her letter writing to her parents would’ve still left the poor bird with little to do.

He raced up to her door and pushed the doorbell button. After a moment, the door opened and Harry received a surprise. His Primary Five teacher, Mr. Cody greeted him with a loud and joyous welcome.

“Merry Christmas, Harry!” he began, “Come in, come in. Betcha surprised to see me?”

Harry could only nod in muted shock. Last he heard, Mr. Cody had left teaching to become the manager of the manufacturing facility that was going to be producing his _Assistants_ and was now living in London.

Belinda Honeybloom came into the room via the kitchen, “Robert! Don’t break him just yet, he needs to be able to open his presents!” she scolded him gently while handing Harry a drink.

Harry finally got his brain back into gear, “You two are in a relationship? When did that happen?” he croaked.

“You see, Bell? I told you he’d be fine.” Robert remarked smugly, “Well, you see Harry, ever since we got started helping you with the creation and development of the _Assistant_ , the two of us have come to realize that…well, we love each other. As a matter of fact, we’ll be getting married in March.”

Harry nearly choked on his drink, “Married?” he glanced at the two of them before breaking out with a broad grin, “That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for the two of you.”

Talk now concentrated on the new couple’s relationship and upcoming wedding plans as well as what was happening back at St. Grogory and down at the manufacturing plant; Harry brought them up to speed about the high points in his first year at Hogwarts. People he met, friends he’d made and the measures he’d taken to deal with the ongoing problems that were Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy. Both Belinda and Robert were howling with laughter at some of the results from the potion ‘treatments’ given to both boys. He also discussed the ongoing problems caused by the Headmaster. Belinda had commented that she always knew there had to be a problem with him even as far back as that first day with Harry in her class. He told them about the Muggle Studies demonstration and the reactions from the students and staff. He mentioned that he had no idea if there were going to be any improvements made to the curriculum but, hey, they had planted the seed! Then he told the two of them what had happened between the Dursleys and Dumbledore. They were both livid with anger that Dumbledore had stooped to new lows. Belinda was visibly distraught at the thought of the bindings and charms that had been placed on Harry and relieved to know that they had been removed.

* * *

#  **Thursday 26 December, 1991 Lupin Residence, Folkstone**

The next day, Remus swung by to pick Harry up for the rest of the break. He had apologized for not being able to get him for Christmas Day, as he needed to make some repairs to his house to make it habitable for two people again. Harry shrugged it off and told him not to worry as he got to visit with his two favorite teachers from his primary school. Harry peppered Remus with a bunch of questions about his life as a werewolf, which surprised and amused Remus, as Harry didn’t seem repulsed by the idea that he turned into a raving, bloodthirsty beast once a month.

“Remus, it’s not a problem, honestly!” Harry exclaimed, “I’ve met girls at Hogwarts who become nearly the same thing once a month for nearly a week!” Remus chuckled and asked if Harry understood what that meant.

“Yes, I know what it means, I’m not a completely clueless boy.” Harry grumbled back.

For the rest of the day, Remus regaled Harry with stories about his parents when they were his age. Stories of some of the pranks he, James, Sirius and Peter pulled on the school at large and certain deserving members of Slytherin House specifically. He reminisced about the hundreds of failed attempts that James had done to get Lily to go out with him; Harry was splitting a seam he was laughing so hard.

Harry then told Remus about the ongoing saga between Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy in their ill-fated quest to become best friend to ‘The Boy-Who-Lived’. Remus laughed uproariously as he described some of the potion related retaliation that he had to employ to get the twin idiots to leave him alone.

“So far they’ve left me alone for the most part and just concentrated their efforts to see who could insult the other’s family the most and such. Most everyone else is tired of the constant episodes of the ‘Battle of The Two Idiots’ but for some reason are reluctant to actually do anything about it. I know that Professors McGonagall and Snape have done their best to keep the two away from each other but there’s only so much they can do when not in sight.” Harry sighed at the end.

“Snape? As in Severus Snape? Greasy hair, big beak, sour attitude towards just about everyone?” Remus inquired.

“I wouldn’t describe him using those words but yeah that does sound like him. Why?”

“He was at school with us and hated your father something fierce, especially after our fifth year. You see, he was in love with Lily and they had a falling out. There was also a number of incidents where your father and Sirius would target Snape specifically for the simple reason that they hated each other.”

Harry shook his head sadly, “That’s terrible! The man has been nothing but a great help and a source of inspiration to me. I take it that they never got past their differences when they graduated?” Remus shook his head no.

“That’s just wrong. I think maybe I should have a talk with him when I get back. See if I can get his side of the story. No offense, Remus but there seems to be more to this than you’re telling me.”

“It’s not a problem, Harry. I’d do the same thing if I were in your position. Now, let’s see that potion’s journal everyone’s been raving about.”

* * *

#  **Friday 27 December, 1991 Lupin Residence**

The next morning, Harry stumbled into the kitchen where he found Remus cooking up breakfast. Mumbling a ‘good morning,’ he plunked down into a chair and grabbed a mug to fill with coffee. He blearily spotted the morning edition of the _Daily Prophet_ and slid it over in front of him. What he saw as the top headline nearly caused him to spit out his coffee and made him wonder if he were still dreaming.

#  ** Dumbledore Arrested!! **

By Arnold Whitewater

_Albus Dumbledore, age 124, was arrested after an anonymous source delivered evidence that the ‘Leader of the Light’ is not who everyone thinks he is! Rumors of falsely incarcerated members of society, illegal redirection of resources and personnel, money laundering and others abound. Sources close to the Ministry have stated unofficially that the Headmaster of Hogwarts had been acting strangely for months since the start of the school year back in September. According to those sources, the Headmaster had been brought in for questioning on October thirty-first in regards to allegations that he attacked a student. With a bit of digging, this reporter has discovered that the student who was attacked was none other than Harry Potter, ‘The Boy-Who-Lived’! While the details of the alleged attack haven’t been released, it does beg the question as to why such a venerated leader would attack a defenseless boy? What else is the supposed ‘Leader of the Light’ hiding? This latest development now brings the question, ‘Is Dumbledore too old to lead anymore? Has he lost his grip on reality?’_

_For more on Albus Dumbledore’s contributions to our society, turn to page four. For more on Harry Potter’s history and contributions, turn to page six._

#  ** Dumbledore Sacked As Headmaster **

By Harold Meechum

_Albus Dumbledore, long serving educator, has been summarily dismissed as Headmaster by the Hogwarts Board of Governors as a result of his latest arrest by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. While the Board would not get into specifics, their spokeswizard did state that a headmaster or headmistress must be above reproach while employed at the school. “To do so otherwise is disrespectful and brings shame to our illustrious school.” In the meantime, while the Governors decide who shall fill the now vacant position, Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall shall be elevated to Acting Headmistress._

_For more on the suspected actions of Albus Dumbledore, turn to page two. For more on the history of Minerva McGonagall, turn to page three._

* * *

Harry stared in mounting horror and a bit of happiness as he read the article. He wondered how much of the article was true. Yes, he knew that the parts regarding the incident between the Headmaster and himself back on Halloween were true but _illegally incarcerating members of society?_ He wondered who it was that Dumbledore threw into prison and why. Then he wondered if the illegal events regarding the charms and bindings on his magic as well as the illegal activities towards the Dursleys would get added to the case. _Probably._

“Remus? Have you seen today’s paper? It says Dumbledore was arrested and sacked!” he called out.

“WHAT??” Remus rushed over and grabbed the paper out of Harry’s hand.

Quickly reading the article, Remus growled a bit at the news, “Serves him right, I hope he spends a long time in Azkaban.”

“Do you think that part of ‘ _incarcerated members of society_ ’ refers to Sirius Black?” Harry inquired hopefully.

Remus’ hands shook slightly and he had to take a deep breath to calm himself, “I don’t know, Harry. From what I’d learned, it was Sirius who betrayed your parents to Voldemort.”

Harry shook his head, “According to my parents’ Will, they had Sirius take something called the “Godfather Ritual,” whatever that is.”

Remus’ head snapped up and he raised an eyebrow at Harry, “Are you sure?” Harry nodded, “Then…that would mean he never… and that he didn’t… ohhhh, my head hurts.” He slowly sank onto the couch and clenched his head in his hands and began quietly sobbing.

Harry ran to his room and grabbed his Potions kitbag and ran back to the kitchen. He poured a liberal dose of a mild Calming Draught into a cup of tea and handed it to Remus. After a moment or two, Remus was able to look up at Harry with tears in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Harry. It’s just a shock that Sirius might actually be innocent.”

“What _does_ the ‘Godfather Ritual’ mean?” Harry asked.

“It’s a ritual that basically requires the person taking it to swear to protect the child with their life and magic. If Sirius had actually betrayed your family or you, he’d be dead as a result. His vow would’ve stopped his heart or burned out his magic in a horrific way.”

“Wow, that sounds brutal,” commented Harry, “So, since it was recorded that he took part in this ritual, we can safely assume that he’s innocent?” Remus nodded morosely.

“Yes, Harry. It does and now we need to contact the Ministry and have someone in the DMLE to get Sirius released from prison.”

“Oh, I’ve already spoken to Amelia Bones. She’s the Director of the department. She’s told me that she’s investigating the case and will get back to me as soon as possible.”

Remus took a deep breath and slowly released it. The knowledge that Sirius could be released soon was invigorating and relieving as well.

“Harry, would you please tell me about the incidents regarding the Headmaster’s actions to you?” Remus asked curiously, “It sounds like there’s more to this story than what the papers alluded to.”

Harry nodded, “Yeah, it started with my sorting into Hufflepuff. I caught a glimpse of his face after the Sorting Hat called out his decision. It was a look of anger. It was a brief look but the anger behind those eyes terrified me.” He then told Remus about what happened on Halloween and the aftermath as the result of it. He then informed Remus about the most recent stuff between Dumbledore and the Dursleys as well as the charms and bindings on his magic. He told him about the discoveries and results of what was contained in his scar and the eventual trip to the Department of Mysteries. Harry assured Remus that the Dark Magic that was residing behind the scar had been cleansed and was no longer a problem. Indeed the scar looked to be completely healed and only a thin line visible. Remus was shaking his head throughout the story thinking how the supposed ‘Leader of the Light’ could be so angry with Harry or stoop so low as to become so…Dark.

“I just don’t understand why he needs to hold such animosity towards me,” Harry wondered, “I mean, I’ve read about some other rising stars in other fields but I don’t hate them for it. Heck, the Junior Veritiserum is the direct result of Hermione coming up with the question to ask me if there was a way to prove the Weasley Twins were lying! She even came up with several shortcuts while we were brewing.” He shook his head in exasperation.

“I’m sorry, Harry. There are some people who just can’t handle their jealousy in the light of other people’s innovation and creativity,” said Remus.

* * *

They spent the rest of the day discussing Harry and Hermione’s article that was published. Harry had a copy in his bag and showed it to Remus, who was greatly impressed. Harry also told him about the team of Aurors, cursebreakers and Unspeakables that accompanied Amelia to the castle in response to inquiries made about the rumors that the legendary Philosopher’s Stone was being hidden in a room on the third floor corridor. He said that there was a rumor that all manner of creatures and traps were protecting it, like a Cerberus and a giant chess set.

Remus was shocked and rather upset that the Headmaster would even _think_ that hiding something like that was appropriate in a school. He commented to Harry that it was rather suspicious for Dumbledore to do this on the same year that Harry was supposed to start at the school.

Later, as a way to get their minds off of the revelations, Remus and Harry exchanged Christmas gifts. Harry received a man’s necklace that had a wolf, stag and a lily flower charms. Harry gifted Remus with a box of Benadryll and _Potioneer’s Assistant_. He also demonstrated the Memory Sphere, the _Teacher’s Assistant_ and the _Student’s Helper_ orbs.

The day before Harry was scheduled to return to Hogwarts, Harry whipped a sizeable batch of the _Nightlight_ paste and a small batch of the Slow-Release Pepper-up potion. When asked why he was doing that, Harry replied that Madam Pomfrey had requested both as she was getting low on her stock supply and it was his favorite way to relax. Remus watched with interest as Harry prepared his ingredients and brewing the recipes and could see that Harry knew what he was talking about and the apparent skill involved.

Remus picked up one vial, “Slow-Release Pepper-up? I’ve never heard of it before.”

“Hmm? Oh… yeah, that’s one of my creations. I originally read a treatise on it a couple of years ago about the different varieties of peppers used in the brewing of the normal recipe and how increasing or decreasing the heat of the pepper could alter the properties of the potion. Once I created the _Assistant_ , I worked on testing those theories.”

“And it works?” Remus asked.

Harry nodded, “Yeah, it does. Normally, a habanero chili pepper is used but what I’ve come up with is to use a jalapeno chili pepper instead and only half of the seeds… hmmm, I wonder if maybe I could use _just_ the seeds as that’s where the heat comes from?” He opened up a ‘Modify Potion’ tab and set about changing the ingredients, just adding the seeds and removing the flesh of the pepper. Once that was done, he ran the ‘Test Potion’ feature and read the results, “Let’s see… ah! There’s not much of a difference in quality. There’s a _slight_ reduction in the viscosity but nothing to be too upset about… interesting. What would happen if I were to use dried seeds?”

And so it went as Harry added or removed ingredients, experimenting without actual ingredients. Remus could only marvel at the sight and chuckle at Harry’s commentary as he worked.


	12. Chapter 12

#  **Friday 3 January, 1992 Hogwarts Express heading North**

Harry met up with Hermione and Neville at King’s Cross the morning the students were scheduled to return to school. He had already sent Hedwig off earlier and told her to take her time.

“Harry! It’s good to see you again,” gushed Hermione, “How was your holidays? Thank you for the gift certificate to Flourish and Blott’s!”

“Hi, Hermione and you’re welcome. Thank you for your present as well. They were good once I was able to get away from my relatives. I found out that my Primary Three and Five teachers are getting married in March and that Dumbledore prevented Remus Lupin from seeking me out all those past years. We spent the rest of the holidays together and got to know each other. He’s a nice guy; he was one of my parents’ best friends when they were in school together. He’s sort of my honorary uncle.”

“That’s good to hear despite Dumbledore’s interference.” Hermione said, “I guess you read the article about the Headmaster being arrested?” Harry nodded, “I can’t believe that he could be so cruel.”

“That’s not the half of things. Dumbledore’s been causing problems outside of the school as well. He broke into my relatives’ house and set up illegal wards and curses apparently all designed so I’d be attacked, or beaten, or…whatever! What Dumbledore didn’t know was that he was being recorded. Uncle Vernon asked me to escort him to the DMLE after we arrived at the train station at the start of the holidays.” Harry informed them about the events following their arrival at King’s Cross. Hermione was horrified and sickened that the Headmaster would do such things while Neville had a grim look on his face. He asked Harry for and received permission to share this with his grandmother and inform her of what transpired.

“So what was your parents’ reaction to learning their daughter is now a published author?” Harry asked Hermione in order to change the subject to a happier topic.

“Oh, my gosh! They were thrilled! Let me tell you…” So Hermione began to gush about her parents’ reactions and the conversation they had. She said that she was sad that she couldn’t share the news with anyone outside of her immediate family, as they weren’t ‘in the know’ about the magical world.

* * *

Just then the door to their compartment opened and Draco swaggered in and sneered, “Well, Potter, it looks like your ‘great and glorious’ leader has finally dived off into the deep end.” Crabbe and Goyle, his ever-present human bookends chuckled maliciously.

“My leader? Hah! That’s a laugh, Malfoy. He’s the idiot who’s responsible for dropping me off with my muggle relatives.” Harry snarked back, “Let me ask you something though, since Dumbledore _was_ sacked, would your father and his faction have a problem with McGonagall officially stepping in?”

Draco responded with a perplexed look and rather dumbfounded by the abrupt change of conversation, “Um… I…don’t know. Maybe?”

“Find out for me, would you? I’d have no problem if the man were thrown in prison for the rest of his life. McGonagall though, would make a fine leader.” Harry replied.

Draco left with his cronies, a confused look still plastered on his face. Once the door latched shut, all three of them burst out laughing.

“Well, I guess that’s _one_ way of getting rid of him without resorting to violence!” laughed Hermione with Neville practically on the floor trying to recover his dignity and wheezing for air.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the blonde idiot is that he’s been clearly sorted into the wrong house. I mean, seriously, barging in like that and snarking off at us? I’d expect that of the Weasley twit!” Harry said to more laughter.

The train pulled into the Hogsmeade station a little past five in the early evening. The students disembarked from their compartments and caught a ride in a horseless carriage up to the castle. When they got into the Great Hall, Harry craned his head to see if the DMLE had released Dumbledore. To his happiness, the old goat was no longer sitting in his golden throne. In fact, said throne was no longer in the place of the Headmaster’s usual spot.

In his place was Minerva McGonagall, she rose to her feet and said to the assembled students, “Welcome back to the start of the new year. I hope that everyone has had a pleasant holiday and is eager to getting back to their studies. I’m sure many of you have questions regarding the disposition of our former headmaster but now is not the time to discuss it. So without further ado, let the Returning Feast begin.”

* * *

#  **Saturday 4 January, 1992 Great Library**

Harry was sitting at his and Hermione’s favorite table studying for an upcoming exam for Potions that had been announced before everyone left for their holidays. Hermione, sitting opposite of him, was busy doing the same. Neville came in about fifteen minutes later and sat down just observing them.

“Harry?” he began, “I’ve always wondered about something. Why haven’t you just tested out of Potions? With the creation of the _Assistant_ , you could easily sit your OWLs or even your NEWTs.”

Harry looked up and pondered Neville’s question for a moment, “I guess I could and I could also test out for a number of other subjects as well but I think the main reason is that I’d miss the social interaction with the other kids.”

Hermione looked up sharply, “Do you mean that you could’ve not taken this class? I didn’t even know that was possible!” She whisper-yelled.

Harry just nodded, “My other reasoning is that I didn’t want to be viewed as some sort of ‘uber-smart’ or ‘The-Great-Harry-Potter’ or any other kind of nonsense like that. I have enough of a problem with all the adulation I get from being the supposed ‘Boy-Who-Lived’ crap as a result of that night for something I don’t even remember. I did do a bit of research a couple of years ago. There is a protection ritual that uses a series of runes that my mother could’ve engraved on my crib as well as marked upon my head and body. To protect against the power of the Killing Curse, the runic protection would have to be powered by the sacrificial act of love for another, in this case my mother’s life for mine. Now tell me how a fifteen-month old baby was _supposed_ to be able to do all that?”

Both Hermione and Neville thought about Harry’s explanation. Little did they know that Severus was in the aisle right next to them and heard Harry’s explanation as well. It certainly was more plausible than the usual rubbish he heard about the boy’s survival and most definitely gelled with what he remembered of Lily’s brilliance.

* * *

#  **Monday 6 January, 1992 Saint Mungo’s Hospital, London**

Healer Jeremy Brenner was the Healer on Duty when Albus Dumbledore was brought in after his arrest just before the start of the holidays. He along with everyone else present were stunned at the sight of the most revered man since Merlin, strapped into a wheelchair and pushed into Ward 49. The old man just sat there with a vacant stare and a slight drool. Jeremy rushed up to the lead Auror and asked what happened.

“Sorry, Healer, I’m not entirely sure. All I know is that yesterday Albus received a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ and just…snapped. We had to stun him because of his ranting and ravings were potentially harmful, especially someone his age.”

Jeremy hurried to the nurses’ station to call for a mind healer. When one arrived, Jeremy informed her of the situation, “No one has any idea as to what caused the breakdown though it might have something to do with the article Dumbledore supposedly read while in custody. We’ve put him in Ward 49 in the Janus Thickney section. I’ll need a report as soon as possible.” The mind healer nodded and headed off to the ward.

Later as he was settling in for a cup of tea and a scone, the mind healer returned with her report, “It’s a mess to say the least, sir. His mind is so fragmented right now that it was extremely difficult to get any sort of clear images. The best I was able to get was his anger towards Harry Potter and the Board of Governors. It seems obvious now, but I will recommend that you have someone bind his magic down so he’s not a danger to himself or anyone else. He’s essentially catatonic and won’t respond to very many outside commands. The ones he does respond to are the same that an infant would; eat, sleep, and drink, that sort of thing.”

“Were you able to determine what it was about the article from the _Daily Prophet_ that set him off?” Jeremy asked.

The mind healer pursed her lips and slowly shook her head, “Not as yet though you might want to have some go through his effects from the time of his incarceration.” She shrugged concomitantly.

“Ok, thank you Healer. You’re dismissed,” Jeremy replied and leaned back in his chair to think about the situation. He’d work on his report later, right now he needed to contact the DMLE for their side of things.

* * *

#  **Monday 13 January, 1992 Great Hall**

A week after returning from their holidays, Harry was reading his Herbology textbook at breakfast when the morning post arrived. Hedwig landed in front of him and dropped off the paper and a letter. She waited most impatiently for him to acknowledge her and when he didn’t respond she grabbed the book he was reading with her talon and tugged hard on it.

“PREK!!”

Harry jumped at the sudden movement of the book and Hedwig’s admonishment, “My Lady! This humble servant is most sorry for his lack of attention. I was absorbed by the information in preparation for a quiz later today and didn’t notice your arrival. How might this impertinent chick make it up for you?” He apologized profusely.

“Hoot.”

“Of course, Milady. I shall endeavor to retrieve as much bacon as I can carry. As a more immediate apology, may I have the honor of carrying you back up to the Owlery so that way you might rest?” He inquired with a bit of melodramatic-ness.

Hedwig bobbed her head so Harry packed up his books and stuff then placed Hedwig on his shoulder for the ride back to the Owlery. As he passed the others, he heard a bit of sniggering to his conversation with his owl but just raised his nose in mock-pomposity and ignored them.

“Pay no attention to the plebes, milady. They couldn’t _possibly_ understand your importance nor our relationship as mistress and servant!”

“Hoot!” huffed Hedwig, giving her own imperious stare at the others as the two of them exited the Great Hall.

Once he delivered Hedwig to the Owlery for her rest, Harry proceeded back to the kitchens to get a snack of some kind that didn’t need to be refrigerated or was too messy to eat with one hand. He opened the paper and saw the headline in big, bold letters.

#  ** Sirius Black Innocent!! **

By Argus O’Malley

_Ten years ago last Halloween, a date which will forever live in the memories of us all, a family was torn apart by one of history’s most evil dark wizards. At the time, it was thought that Sirius Black assisted He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in finding the Potter family. Sirius Black was on record as the family’s Secret-Keeper as part of the ritual known as the Fidelius Charm. This ritual, in part, hides a secret from the knowledge from all others unless imparted by the Keeper. Upon Mr. Black’s arrest, he was heard as saying over and over ‘I killed them.’ At the time, it was thought that he betrayed his friends for the dark side. Now though, this reporter has learned that Mr. Black never received a trial after his arrest! He was summarily thrown into Azkaban and the key ‘thrown away.’ New evidence has surfaced that shows that Sirius Black was in fact, young Harry Potter’s godfather as per ‘The Godfather Ritual.’ This ritual would’ve killed Mr. Black the moment he tried to harm the boy! After given a trial and Veritiserum was used, the court and this reporter has learned that it was in fact another ‘friend’ of theirs who was the Secret-Keeper, Mr. Peter Andrew Pettigrew!_

The article continued and discussed at length about the evidence that was presented, the Potter Family Will and the revelations gained from the interview using Veritiserum. At the end, the court declared Sirius to be innocent and sent to Saint Mungo’s as part of their recovery treatment process for those released from the wizarding prison.

Harry read the article with joy in his heart and a huge smile on his face. He could only imagine what Dumbledore must be going through right now, as it was mentioned in the article that he was the presiding Chief Warlock at the time of Sirius’ ‘arrest.’ He wondered if the old goat was the one responsible for not looking deeper into the whole scandal. It wouldn’t surprise him, as Dumbledore _was_ the one responsible for dumping him at the Dursleys.

He caught up with his class as they were about to head into the classroom to take their quiz. Spotting Hermione, he gave her a brief wave when he caught her eye then motioned for her to join him when class let out. She nodded then took her seat. The quiz turned out to be fairly easy; the bulk of it was an essay on the proper planting and caring for mundane desert plants and what they would do in a given scenario. The rest of the quiz was a ten question multiple choices that covered the different implements used during last term.

Once the students were finished with their quizzes, they were dismissed and asked to wait quietly outside for the others to finish and the next lesson to begin. Harry sidled up next to Hermione and asked her if she had read the morning paper regarding Sirius’ trial and innocence.

“Yes, I did and I’m so happy that he was found innocent. It does beg the question as to why it had to happen in the first place. It sounds like something dodgy happened and proper procedures weren’t followed.” Hermione rushed out.

Harry filled her in onto his thoughts and theories as to what happened and why. She could kind of see the conspiracy theory and sympathized with him.

“It’s a shame that Dumbledore has it locked into his head that anyone else is not capable of coming up with ideas or making their own decisions. In some ways, it kind of reminds me of the way people who have been spoiled as children. They’ve been coddled for so long, they don’t have a clue as to handle other opinions.” She said.

“I know, right? It’s rather disturbing how similar it is. According to Professor Snape, Dumbledore wanted me to live with my muggle relatives so that way I’d be raised away from all the adulation and celebrity in this world. Snape, however, feels that Dumbledore probably hoped that the Dursleys would’ve been more abusive or something that would’ve caused me serious or life-threatening harm and I wouldn’t have been able to come back.” He shrugged nonchalantly, “Ehh, it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m here and I’m not going away.” 

“So what are your plans for new inventions and such?” asked Hermione, changing the subject.

“Nothing major in the works, just refinements of existing items. I got a letter from my Primary Five teacher, Mr. Cody, who now runs the manufacturing facility that produces the _Assistants._ He said that the journal is practically flying off the shelves faster than they can make them. There’s apparently a three month long backlog of journal orders just for Britain and seven months for the rest of the world!”

“That’s great, Harry! It just goes to show; right product at the right time.” Hermione congratulated him.

“It’s still shocking even after all this time. I originally created it just for my own usage. I never thought I’d be a celebrity for something I _actually_ did than for something that everyone _thinks_ I did.” He mused.

* * *

After Herbology, the two of them made their way down to the lake to sit under their favorite tree while waiting for Neville to join them. They were discussing various elements of their lives back home and how things differed to the magical world when Draco Malfoy and his two human bookends showed up.

Sighing, Harry looked up at Draco who had a sneer on his face, “What is it, Malfoy? Is it that time again for another ‘potion treatment?’” Hermione just quietly chuckled.

“Very amusing, Potter. No, I’m here cause I wanted to see how you’re responding to the fact that your godfather is a loony who should’ve remained locked up for everyone’s safety. I’ve heard that he still howls at the moon and that he enjoys chasing after sticks.”

“Yes, yes Draco. _Most_ amusing. Did you come up with those innuendos yourself or did mummy and daddy help you with them?” Harry asked in a condescending voice. He turned a gimlet eye to Crabbe and Goyle, “What about you two? Any other witty remarks you’d like to make about someone who had to spend ten years in hell for something he didn’t do?” Both boys just dropped their heads and mumbled no while shuffling their feet.

“Mr. Malfoy, your attitude is most unbecoming of a Slytherin. Are you _sure_ that you were sorted properly? I would _think_ that mummy and daddy would’ve properly educated you on the knowledge of just who Sirius Black is but it’s _clearly_ apparent that either they didn’t or you’re just not… _teachable._ It’s a shame really and for your sake, I hope that Sirius doesn’t find out about it. It could lead to all sorts of…future nastiness, what with him being Heir Apparent for the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. I may have to inform him of the blatant lies and innuendo being spread by you. As his godson, it would be imperative that I keep him up to date.”

With that admonishment ringing in his ears and his face paling, Draco and company turned and hightailed it out of the area. Harry just gave a mirthless chuckle and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. Hermione on the other hand, finally figured out what the message Harry was trying to get across.

“Harry? Did you just _pull rank_ on Draco?”

“Yup. I had to learn the basics of the ‘political battlefield’ last summer. I once gave an interview to _Potioneer’s Monthly_ to a room full of purebloods whose attitudes resembled Draco’s. Mr. Cody helped me with the preparation and gave me a book on wizarding etiquette and a ‘who’s who’ of the magical world’s purebloods. It was there I learned about some of my family’s history and our place within society. It’s probably why I’ve been able to get along with most everyone here. Imagine if I was re-introduced to this world _not_ knowing who I or my family was?”

“How did no one recognize you?” she asked.

“Miss Honeybloom charmed my hair to a dusty brown and my eyes to a non-descript blue. She then used a glamour to hide my scar. Plus, I introduced myself as Harold Talbot. They had no reason to suspect otherwise.” Harry replied.

“So what was that part about knowing who Sirius Black is?” she enquired.

“Sirius, whether he likes it or not, is… well, he has some parchment work that needs to be dealt with first, he will be the Head of the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. The family dates back to the Middle Ages during the Second Crusades. The Blacks were once a political powerhouse until recently when Voldemort decimated the British pureblood community with that stupid war. The only families older than the Blacks, at least in Britain, are the Potters and Longbottoms. My family was one of the first on the island during the Ice Age migrations and the Longbottoms were originally Viking conquerors. Draco’s mother was born a Black therefore any slight against Sirius is to imply that his mother is improperly teaching him bad manners and such. If Sirius were so inclined, he could disown her from the family and withdraw the dowry paid to the Malfoys or even dissolve their marriage.”

“Wow!” she exclaimed, “that’s impressive.”

“Give you three guesses as to how my family got the name of ‘Potter?” Harry asked with a cheeky grin. Hermione just gave him a playful shove.


	13. Chapter 13

#  **Tuesday 14 January, 1992 Breakfast, Great Hall**

That Tuesday morning would forever live in the hearts and minds of every student and staff at Hogwarts for a very long time. Someone had pranked the infamous Weasley Twins…

When the two boys walked into the Great Hall looking like a pair of redheaded pile of hair in robes, a song that was familiar to just about every muggleborn or -raised started playing,

“ ** _They’re creepy and they’re kooky,_**

**_Mysterious and spooky,_ **

**_They’re altogether ooky,_ **

**_The Addams Family!_ **

Those who knew the song began singing along while laughing uproariously. The twin piles of hair just looked at each other and you could see them give a much put-upon sigh of resignation. Once the song ended, a banner unfurled itself above the Head Table. It read:

** The Heir of the Marauders is hereby putting the Weasley Twins on Notice, **

** The Kings of Pranks and Mayhem are back!! **

The Weasley Twins and anyone old enough to know who the Marauders were felt their eyes widen in shock and in some cases fright. The thought that there could be an heir to those miscreants was terrifying!

* * *

Snape had been quietly chuckling despite reading the message on the banner. It was, in his opinion, high time that someone had finally successfully gotten back to the Twins and given them a taste of their own medicine. He glanced over at Harry with a curious look on his face. Harry was just sitting there, staring straight ahead with a clear, nearly suppressed look of mirth on his face. Severus decided to question him later to get the details on how he pulled it off.

At morning tea, Severus approached Harry, “Harry? How’d you do it? That prank against the Twins this morning?”

Harry felt his face burst into a blush, a grin forming on his lips as he struggled in vain to keep either from forming, “Weeeelll…” he drawled, “I modified a Hair Growth potion and again spoke with the elves. I had them spike their toothpaste last night while the twins were asleep so they wouldn’t suspect.”

Severus chuckled, “What did you offer the elves to get them to do that?”

“New recipe I found back home for a pulled pork with pineapple relish taco dish. I think we’ll be having it this Friday for dinner if I understood them correctly.”

Severus shook his head in amusement, “I can’t believe how easy you make it seem to get the elves to partake in these pranks. Recipes, cleaning supplies, tips and tricks from the muggle world? Who’d have thought that’s what they like the best?”

“Boggles the mind, doesn’t it sir?” Harry just grinned while Severus just chuckled.

“So how long will they remain like that?”

“Based on how much they probably used in brushing their teeth, I’d wager about another couple of hours. No more than the rest of the day. The fun part is, since it’s in their toothpaste, the prank will repeat itself until they either run out of toothpaste or figure out which item of theirs is pranked.” That set Severus off again in laughing at the thought of the Twins’ ongoing predicament.

“One thing I’m curious about professor, is why you haven’t thought of getting some revenge pranks in? What I’m doing is nothing more than potion-based pranks, something you could easily do yourself. As a Potions Master yourself, I’d have thought that you’d take a bit of retaliation relief against them to try and get the twins to grow up a bit.”

Severus just gave a brief snort and turned his nose up in mock-pomposity, “I’m an adult and supposed to be above such petty actions.” He then dropped his face to look again at Harry, “Besides, it never occurred to me to use the elves as a delivery method of said prank potions.” Harry just nodded in acknowledgement while grinning.

* * *

##  _**In Charms class…** _

Harry’s next prank wasn’t so much a prank as it was a test of what he’d learned in the class. He took a blank glass sphere and charmed it to change color every time it was hit with an ‘ _aculeatum’_ or stinging hex or an ‘ _finite incantatum’_ or the spell canceling charm. He had etched it with the runic array to get it to float and drift in random patterns, altitudes and speeds. The reason why he did this was to practice his targeting abilities for DADA.

He sat in the back for today’s class and quietly released the sphere. Flitwick’s attention was on another student so he didn’t notice anything amiss until a stray stinging hex nearly hit him on the arm. Flitwick glanced about sternly, wondering who dared to send such a hex his way when he saw the look of apologetic chagrin on Harry’s face.

“Mr. Potter? Care to explain why you decided to attack me? Did I do something wrong?”

“Um… no sir, I was practicing with a new experiment and it got away from me. I’m sorry,” he explained.

“I see… where is this experiment of yours then?” Flitwick inquired.

Harry looked up and Flitwick followed his gaze. Filius pulled out his wand and cast the spell canceling charm only for the sphere to change color and dart off in another direction. Filius looked down at Harry with a raised inquisitive eyebrow.

“Perhaps another explanation is in order, Mr. Potter?”

Harry explained why he had created the target sphere and briefly went over what charms were used. Flitwick was very impressed at the skill and daring that Harry demonstrated.

“So how _do_ you retrieve it once you complete the training?” he asked of Harry.

“Summoning charm, professor.”

“You know how to cast a _Summoning charm_?” Flitwick exclaimed, “That’s Fourth year level work!” Harry just shrugged nonchalantly.

“Accio Targeting sphere!” cried Filius and the sphere darted into his hand. He then found the proper rune to deactivate it and handed it back to Harry.

“Five points to you, Mr. Potter, for outstanding charms work. You know, if you’re not careful you just might run out of inventive ideas before you reach your OWL year.” Flitwick said as Harry gave a lop-sided grin in response.

* * *

#  **Thursday 16 January, 1992 DADA Classroom 13F**

The Board of Governors had hired a new professor to replace the late, unlamented Quirnius Quirrel after the Auror that had been used before term let out for Christmas break was needed back in the Auror rotation. Their new teacher was someone that Harry was becoming very familiar with, Remus Lupin. Right off the bat, Remus was proving to be an exceptional teacher. He was patient with the slower students; he was extremely knowledgeable in the relevant topic of the day and didn’t require too much in the way of homework.

“Welcome to a new year everyone! My name is Remus Lupin and this term we will be covering the basics of personal defense. Just some of the things we will be discussing are how to identify threats and how to respond to them. For example, could anyone give me an example of the most common sort of threat a child might face?”

Answers ranged from angry or violent relatives to various types of animals. Professor Lupin then took each of the answers and walked everyone through on how to deal with them as need be. The class took diligent notes and as they were leaving after the bell rang, their pleased chatter echoed through the hallway. Harry stayed behind to congratulate Remus.

“Awesome first day on the job, _professor_!” Harry teased gently.

Remus just gave him a small grin, “Thank you, Harry. It feels good to have a job again where I don’t have to worry whether or not the manager will let me have time off for the full-moon. Plus, it feels good to be back at my old school.”

“Speaking of the full moon, do you have enough Benadryll on hand?” Harry asked concernedly to which Remus nodded.

“Yup, picked up a couple of boxes before I arrived yesterday morning just in case. I still have the one you gave me for Christmas but better safe than sorry, right?” Harry grinned back.

He sobered up a bit for the next question, “Any word as to when I might get to meet Sirius? I know that he was remanded to Saint Mungo’s for their post-Azkaban prisoner rehabilitation program.”

“I sent him a letter last week and he wrote back. He seems to be in good spirits; which is hardly surprising considering he’s finally away from that hellhole. He says he’s also looking forward to meeting you again and hopes that you’re doing well. There were a bunch of other things that were personal in nature so I won’t bore you with the details. I was thinking that this weekend unless I have something come up that needs my attention, I would go over and visit with him. If I get the permission from the Healer and Professor McGonagall, would you like to join me?”

“Yes, please! That would be great,” Harry glanced at his watch, “I’ve got to be going, I have Astronomy class next and I bet the stairs are going to be a pain in the butt today.”

Harry gave Remus a goodbye hug and a wave then headed off to his next class.

* * *

##  _**That evening in the Library before curfew…** _

Harry was reading a manuscript that he had found lying on his favorite table when Hermione and Dean Thomas found him.

“Whatcha got there, Harry?” asked Dean.

“Found this manuscript for what appears to be a children’s story. It’s really good despite a bit needed tweaking. It’s called, ‘Puddles the Clown and the Sad Circus.’ From what I’ve read so far, it’s about a clown that works for a failing circus and needs to find a way to bring laughter back to the acts. He gets the bright idea to invent the _Cheering Charm_ and the _Tickling Hex._ The rest of the story so far is about Puddles’ journey to discover how to create the charm and hex.”

“Is it accurate about how the two were invented? Sounds like a far-fetched way to tell a story,” commented Hermione.

“I think it’s fairly accurate. It covers the information we learned in class and I think if we were to check the History section of the library, we’d find out if the rest were correct. I like the story, though. It’s light-hearted and clever without bogging down on details. If I were to publish this, I would put it at the five to seven year old children age range.”

“Who wrote this, is there a name?” inquired Dean as he read a bit over Harry’s shoulder.

Harry flipped back to the cover page and pointed to the name, ‘Millie B.’ Just then the three of them heard a strangled squeak of shock and looked up. First year Slytherin student, Millicent Bulstrode was staring at them with wide, terrified eyes. Dean put two and two together; this must be the author.

“Millie? You’re the ‘Millie B’ who wrote this story?” Millicent just mutely nodded.

“I love the story,” replied Harry, “Have you considered getting it published?”

Millicent hesitated nervously then spoke in a quiet voice that belied her large size, “I’ve dreamt about it but who would want to publish something this light-hearted from a Slytherin?”

Hermione gave an indignant squeal of disbelief, “Who’s said that? I mean, I only glanced at the script but I liked what I read. It’s cute and funny!” A shy smile crept onto Millicent’s face.

Harry stood up and approached the nervous girl, “Millicent, have you checked your history of the charm and hex?” She nodded, “Then I suggest you go to Professor Flitwick and turn this in. You did an absolutely fantastic job here and I’m sure that he’d help you iron out any of the details.”

“I-I don’t know…” she stammered, “what if he doesn’t like it or doesn’t believe that I did this. I mean, I know that most people look upon me as a miniature troll.” She dropped her head in muted shame for letting that information get out.

Harry lifted her chin with his finger, “There’s only one way to find out. Now, let’s _all_ go and see the professor. Work like this should be shared with everyone.”

* * *

So the four students traipsed their way up the stairs to Professor Flitwick’s office. When they were bid to enter, Harry put the manuscript down on the professor’s desk. Flitwick gave them a curious look but picked up the script and began to read. A small smile grew to a large one before completely dissolving to uproarious laughter.

“This is hilarious! Who wrote this?” he exclaimed. Millie raised her hand shyly.

“It was me, sir.”

“Fantastic job, Miss Bulstrode. So, Mr. Potter, I can see your determination in bringing this to my attention but what is it that you think ought to be done?”

“I was hoping that you’d work with Millicent and work on getting this illustrated and published. It’s too good _not_ to share with the younger children.” Harry replied.

Dean spoke up, “I just quickly glanced at it, professor and I’d be happy to donate my time to come up with a few trial sketches. I like the story concept and would like to help.” Millicent gave him a genuine smile and nodded. Dean’s work was known throughout the castle and of high quality.

Hermione quipped at that, “This is an act of history in the making. A Lion and a Snake working together for the betterment of literature.” The other occupants in the room just laughed.

* * *

#  **Sunday 19 January, 1992 Shrieking Shack, Hogsmeade**

It had been rumored to be the most haunted building in all of Britain. Stories of vengeful and violent ghosts abounded but in reality; the shrieks and howls were caused by just one being. As the moon rose into the sky, Remus Lupin again began the transformation into the werewolf known as Moony. What was different this time from all the rest was Remus had taken the dose of Benadryll and had a bit of company, though said company wasn’t even remotely human.

Harry observed the transformation through the lens of the _Student’s Helper_ and took copious amounts of notes. He was naturally horrified at what transpired and it tore at his heart that he couldn’t be there in person to offer a hug or any sort of comfort to his honorary uncle. He continued his vigil until he fell asleep knowing that the other sphere in the room, a _Memory Sphere_ , would continue to record everything that happened.

The next morning, Harry greeted Remus as he entered the Infirmary. Remus was lying in one of the beds nursing a pain reliever potion and reading the morning paper. At the sound of the door opening, Remus looked up and spotted Harry entering the room.

“Good morning, Cub.”

“Hi, Uncle Remus. Um, you don’t mind if I call you that, do you?”

“Not in the least. So, did you get all the information you needed last night?” Remus asked.

“Yup, it was horrifying to watch but, yeah, I got it all. I’m sorry that you have to go through that every full moon.”

“Don’t worry about it, Harry. I’m used to it. I’m just worried that the parents will have a problem with someone like me teaching their children and I’d be forced to leave. It’s nice to have a stable job.”

Harry got a sneaky smirk on his face that reminded Remus of Harry’s father, “Weeeelll, I _could_ speak with my friends and pass the word along that you’re here as part of a trial program. That having you here in the castle is a matter of historic importance. Let them run with the rumor and let things progress on their own. Ooh! I know, I could tell them that you’re going to be featured in a Care of Magical Creatures class. ‘How much tummy rubbing can a werewolf handle before the feet start kicking…’”

Remus could only chuckle, “You’re just as bad as your father, you know that Harry? He came up with some wild plans and ideas to explain my condition as well. The only one that did work was when he, Sirius and Peter became Animagi during our fifth year.”

Harry stopped moving and a shining light appeared in his eyes, “My dad could turn into an animal? What kind? What about Sirius and Peter?”

“Your father was able to transform into a large stag. Sirius could turn into a large black dog reminiscent of the Grimm and Peter could turn into a fat, brown rat…. Harry? What’s the matter?” Remus paused when he spotted the shock on Harry’s face.

“Remus… is it possible to look at an animal and know that something just feels… _off_?”

Remus nodded slowly, wondering where this question was going.

“There’s a Gryffindor student, Ron Weasley, who has a fat brown rat as a pet. I can’t explain it but whenever I’m near it, it squeaks in terror and hides. My owl, Hedwig, also reacts with anger whenever she sees the rat. Now even I know, that’s not a normal reaction from an owl to a rat.”

Remus sat up suddenly, all remnants of pain forgotten, “Where is he? Any idea?” But Harry shook his head ‘no.’

“He and I don’t have classes together but what if you were to contact the Aurors first? Let them handle it?” Harry suggested as he placed his hands on Remus’ shoulders.

Remus sighed as he leaned back onto the bed, “You’re right, of course Harry. The residual pain is making it difficult for me to think straight. Ok, I know that you’ve been in contact with Amelia Bones so why don’t you send her a letter and get that track started. In the meantime, I’m going to be a good boy and lie here quietly. Otherwise, Madam Pomfrey over there is going to be mad at me.” Madam Pomfrey was giving the two of them a stern look of disapproval while Harry and Remus exchanged sheepish looks.

* * *

##  _**In the Great Hall…** _

Harry arrived in the middle of the breakfast rush but was waylaid by Millicent practically tackling and nearly hugging the stuffing out of him. Her face was lit up with rapturous joy and she just about bounced up and down while telling him about how well the editing of her story was going and how Professor Flitwick had gotten in contact with a publisher friend of his. This friend had read a draft of the story and was highly interested in getting it out to the masses by Easter at the latest.

“So what’s left to do with the editing?” Harry asked.

“Some font style to make it easier to read and the charms to animate the pictures that Dean has drawn. Oooh! I’m so excited! I wrote to my parents after I got word from Professor Flitwick that his friend was going to publish my story. They’re very excited and proud of me!”

“Well, why wouldn’t they? It’s not every day that a talented first year like yourself makes a name in the literary world.” Harry complimented back.

Millicent got a bit an ashamed look on her face and slightly shuffled her feet, “Before all this happened, I could tell that my parents just looked at me as nothing more than a dumb enforcer for some rich lord or something. They didn’t actually come out and say it but that was the feeling I got whenever my father would discuss potential suitors with his friends.”

“But now you don’t have to worry about that. This is a happy time, put away those past memories. They no longer apply to you.” Harry instructed gently, gave her another hug and wished her a good day. He managed to get to the Hufflepuff table and pull together a quick breakfast before all the good stuff was eaten.

* * *

#  **Wednesday 22 January, 1992 Hogwarts Main Gates**

“Thank you for joining us, Madam Bones,” Minerva said. Amelia nodded and asked for greater detail of the report regarding Pettigrew as they were walking up the driveway to the castle.

“Well, I was approached by Mr. Harry Potter and Professor Remus Lupin yesterday. The two had been talking to each other the morning after the full moon on Sunday. According to Harry, he was checking in with his honorary uncle and also his ‘test patient.’ Somehow the topic got onto Animagi and Harry had mentioned that one of our first year Gryffindors, Ronald Weasley, had a pet rat that just didn’t _feel_ right. Long story short, Remus came seeking me out and explained the conversation; then I contacted you.”

The group made their way up the stairs and into the Gryffindor Common Room. Upon entering, Amelia spotted both the boy and the rat sitting together on a chair in front of the fireplace. Just to be on the safe side, she pulled out her wand and cast a _Stupefy_ at the both of them. One of the Aurors cast an Animagus Revealing Charm and the rat glowed red. She had one Auror capture the rat and locked it in a cage; the boy was revived.

“Wha? Whuzzgoinon?” Ron mumbled.

“Mr. Weasley, my name is Madam Amelia Bones. I’m the Director of the Magical Law Enforcement and I’m here to let you know that we’re confiscating your rat under the suspicision of it being an illegal Animagus.” Amelia stated.

Ron just blinked owlishly at Amelia, the two Aurors and Minerva before fear set in and he began to panic, “Scabbers? Anim-whatis? Wha-what’s going to happen to me? Am I in trouble?”

“Not at this time, Mr. Weasley however I will need to ask you a few questions. Being that you’re underage, I’ll need to contact your parents. Would you prefer either your mother or father here?”

“Um… my dad. Mum gets a little… um, vocal.” Ron said to the amused chuckling of Minerva.

“Very well, Mr. Weasley. Minerva? Is there a conference room we could use?” Minerva nodded and led the group to the second floor and into an unused conference room. The two Aurors took the trapped rat back to the DMLE’s holding cells without further delay.

Ten minutes later, Arthur Weasley arrived and inquired what was going on. Upon hearing that Ronald’s rat was actually an illegal Animagus, he got a distinct greenish tint to his face and sat down rather heavily.

“An Animagus? Do you know who it is?”

“According to the anonymous tip, it’s supposed to be Peter Pettigrew,” replied Amelia.

“Pettigrew! Wait, wasn’t he supposedly killed by Sirius Black?” Arthur exclaimed.

“Arthur, didn’t you read the papers stating that Black was innocent?” asked Minerva, “That news came out back last month.”

Arthur just shook his head, ”No, we were out of the country visiting family in Romania,” he took a deep calming breath, “Okay, what is it that you wanted to know?”

Amelia questioned Ronald and his father at length before asking Minerva to retrieve Percy Weasley as it turned out the older boy had the rat longer. Percy turned a sickly green when the realization that he had a criminal sleeping in his bed, had kissed the rat a number of times and had been in the presence of said criminal while changing. Amelia thoughtfully conjured up a wastebasket for the teen to vomit in then vanished it when done. Once all the interviews were completed, Amelia assured all the Weasleys that they weren’t in any real trouble but urged them to be more cautious in the future.


	14. Chapter 14

#  **Friday 24 January, 1992 Great Hall**

Harry stumbled into the Great Hall for breakfast only to be greeted by a cheerful Hermione. He glared at her with bleary eyes and gave a brief growl demanding breakfast and coffee before being subjected to unusual girlish behavior this early in the morning. Hermione just giggled and led him over to the Ravenclaw table. Harry grabbed an empty mug and filled it with the black liquid heaven then grabbed some waffles and a bit of syrup. Once he had finished eating and was nursing his second mug of coffee did he finally recognize shapes and form relatively coherent thoughts.

“Ahhh… coffee. The TRUE Elixir of Life!” Hermione giggled at his melodramatics. He turned to her and asked, “Okay, _what_ has you so energetic this early in the morning?”

She thrust a magazine into his hands and sat there beaming, “I’ve published another article! This time in the subject of Care of Magical Creatures. Remember how you all discovered that I have the ability to understand what an animal is saying?” Harry nodded warily, “well, I got together with Professor Kettleburn and under his guidance, I communicated with a nest of Cornish Pixies that live within the Forbidden Forest and discovered that they actually have a primitive and functional society with rules and laws. According to our observations and my talks with the tribe, we’d put their level of civilization at around the Late Neolithic Era, or in terms you can understand this early in the morning, advanced cavemen similar to Neanderthals!”

Harry perked up at Hermione’s explanation and gave her a wide smile, “I’m so proud of you Hermione! _Two_ published articles and you haven’t even graduated to second year! You got me beat, I didn’t get my second article published until I was in Primary Four. Have you told your parents yet?”

“Not yet, I just got the issue this morning. I wanted to let you know and ask if I could borrow Hedwig.”

Harry nodded, “I think she’d appreciate the work. I haven’t had a need to contact anyone lately; most of my correspondence with Mr. Cody is done via the Communication page in my _Assistant._ Anything I get from Gringott’s comes with their own owls. I haven’t had the desire or interest in publishing anything potions related lately.”

“Really? What about the potions you created while you were here?”

“Eh… most of them are not exactly what I would call ‘publish worthy,’ more like ‘on-the-spot, good enough’ potion work.” He didn’t take into account the ‘Slow-Release Pepper-up’ potion, as it wasn’t quite ready for publication and the ‘Nightlight’ paste formula needed a bit of tweaking.

Hermione grinned and gave another short squeal of delight then hugged him before bouncing up and racing out the door to write her letter. Harry spotted Neville glancing at him in puzzlement before shaking his head and reaching for a glass of orange juice.

“What was that all about, Harry?”

“Hermione got another article published. This time it was for Care of Magical Creatures. Something about a stone-age society of Cornish Pixies living in the Forbidden Forest…”

“Neat.”

“Yeah, so I told her to use Hedwig to contact her parents. You know, now that I’m thinking about it; I ought to speak with Hermione later about getting an owl for herself and her parents to use. I have no problem letting her use Hedwig but there might be times where that might not be possible. What do you think I ought to do?”

Neville shrugged thoughtfully, “Sounds like a good idea to me though you might want to write to her parents first and see what they say. Despite the public rumors, you can’t be the one to think of everything and have it come out all perfect.”

“Neville!” Harry gave a mock-glare of indignation and an stance of over-the-top pomposity, “Me? The paragon of all things perfect? Perish the thought!” Neville gave him an amused snort.

“Seriously, who comes _up_ with that sort of dreck anyhow?”

“I don’t know, mate. I wouldn’t put it past Malfoy or Weasley. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen or heard their latest attempts for your favor. Any idea as to what happened?”

Harry grunted, “Yeah, I spoke with Professors McGonagall and Snape. They both said that they would contact their parents and demand discipline to be administered. Then to add to the ‘fun,’ I sent both sets of parents a Howler.”

“A _Howler? You?_ ”

“Yup, had to get help from the Weasley Twins as to what would work best on their mother and we figured the same feeling but couched in aristocratic terms would be good for the Malfoys. I got to vent my frustrations and the Twins got to view it as a great prank.”

“Well,” Neville mused, “I’d say that the results speak for themselves.” Harry agreed.

* * *

##  _**In Ward 49, Janus Thickney section…** _

Albus slowly opened his eyes and glanced around the room. He was puzzled as to why he was here, wherever here was, when the last place he remembered was that blasted cell in the DMLE holding area. He managed to sit upright and looked around for his wand. He didn’t see it but did spot his glasses. Once that was settled, he took stock of himself to see what was missing. _Wand? Missing. Glasses? Check. Robes? Basic, but they’ll do._ He climbed out of bed and headed for the door. He tried to open it but found it to be locked! Why was he locked in? It didn’t make any sense unless it was more likely someone else was locked out? To protect him from…whomever? It was possible; he shrugged.

Albus wandered throughout the room, examining everything to try to understand the events surrounding him. He spotted a small settee and a chair with the day’s _Prophet_ and so settled in to read. What he read made his blood pressure spike! _Sacked from the Headmaster position? Preposterous! The Board would never do such a thing!_ Yet there it was in bold, clear writing on the top of the page. His rage settled in and he began to rant again about the perceived injustices surrounding his plans for the Potter brat.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way! Harry Potter was supposed to see him as the savior who pulled him from the misery of muggle life! The Dursleys had failed him! The charms and other wards failed him! The boy’s abilities and popularity were not supposed to happen! The brat was supposed to show up at the school unaware as to who he was and his place within the magical community. He was supposed to be sorted into Gryffindor where Albus could use his considerable influence to guide the boy to his destiny. The brat was supposed to become friends with the youngest Weasley so that way he could use the family to house Harry after a couple of days back at his aunt and uncle’s house. Any sort of friends outside of the Weasley’s were supposed to be discouraged so the brat had no ties and therefore nothing to live for. His mail was supposed to come to him first so he could approve or disapprove it.

Then he read in another section that the Granger girl had gotten another article published. _His control of the students’ minds and actions was slipping fast and he was desperate to stop it. In his deluded mind, anything that didn’t mention his accomplishments or accolades for the work he had done nearly fifty years ago was something that had to be discouraged. He was Albus Dumbledore! The Defeater of Grindlewald! The Leader of the Light! Where was the reverence and blind obedience that was expected from his followers? It was for the Greater Good that he shaped the minds and thoughts of the future of the magical world as he saw fit to see the destiny and plans he came up with into fruition._ A third article caught his eye. _Seriously, a Slytherin publishing a happy and educational children’s story? Preposterous! And where was that blasted phoenix!_

Albus grumbled and paced in his room, muttering about impertinent brats and the mindless sheep of the general public. He walked himself verbally through his ‘Great Master Plan for the Greater Good for Magical Britain’ and smiled to himself.

Unbeknownst to Albus, he was being watched. A house-elf with large blue eyes and bat-like ears peered out from behind one of the couches. Its mission was clear, ‘Observe the Headmaster and report back on his actions and behaviors at the end of each day.’

* * *

#  **Wednesday 29 January, 1992 Dinnertime, Great Hall**

Harry was just nodding along to the singsong voice of Hermione as she skipped and danced alongside of him down the passageway to the Great Hall. They had gotten the results back from another Transfiguration test and Harry hadn’t gotten an Outstanding grade. Instead, he had received an Exceeds Expectation. That meant that Hermione won their standing competition to see who was the best in the class. That meant that he had to stand up in front of the whole school and declare that Hermione Granger was ‘Queen of the Universe.’

“Yes, yes Hermione. You got the best grade on the last test. Rubbing it in like this is beneath you,” he gently admonished.

Hermione just gave him a smug grin, “You’re only saying that because you lost.”

The two of them entered the Great Hall; Hermione went over to the Ravenclaw table while Harry approached the Teacher’s table. Minerva looked up and spotted the look of chagrin on Harry’s face.

“Mr. Potter? Is there something wrong?”

Harry took a deep breath and let out a mildly frustrated sigh, “Nothing’s wrong per se. More like annoyance that I entered myself into a competition with Hermione without thinking of long-term consequences.”

Minerva and the other teachers within hearing range chuckled.

“Well, then I’m assuming that you’re up here as part of some sort of punishment?”

Harry nodded sagely, “Yeah, I have to get up on a table to explain the back story and announce to the school that ‘Hermione Granger is the Queen of the Universe.’”

Remus let out a snort of amusement and shook his head. _Yup, just like his father. Some things just never change._

Minerva waved Harry onto his mission. He climbed up on the Ravenclaw table and announced in a loud, clear voice, “ **Ladies and gentlemen may I have your attention please! Last year, Miss Hermione Granger and I entered into a personal competition to see who could get the best grades in Transfiguration. Looking back on things, I should’ve realized that entering into a educational competition with a Ravenclaw was foolhardy at best, but hey! I was young and dumb.”** There was a scattering of amused hoots, jeers and cheers, “ **The rules were simple. The competition was only between the two of us and whoever got the highest grade on that particular test had to declare the other ‘King, or Queen, of the Universe. So… Hermione Granger is the Queen of the Universe!”** The room erupted into loud applause and cheering.

Hermione rose from her seat and gave everyone a curtsey of acceptance. She got an evil smirk on her face as she declared in a loud and clear voice, “ **Let it be known from this day forward that even ‘The Great Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, inventor of many devices and potions’ can be defeated in the battlefield of testing and education. He has proven he is no match for the sheer intellectual genius that is a Ravenclaw!!”**

Ravenclaw House let out with a thunderous applause and cry of adulation. Some of the members were pounding their fists on the table as they chanted, “Ravenclaw! Ravenclaw! Raven…Claw!!!”

* * *

#  **Friday 14 February, 1992 Dinnertime, Great Hall**

The two weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day was mildly nerve-wracking for Harry. He had something planned for that special day and he wanted everything to be perfect. To further his plans, he had casually let slip that he was planning on making a big batch of a special version of Amortentia, the most powerful love potion on the market. To anyone who knew him, this came as a shock! ‘ _The famed_ _Boy-Who-Lived­_ _brewing a Love Potion?!’_

Neville caught up to him the day before the planned event with a look of concern on his face, “Harry? Please tell me this is all just one big prank? You’re not really brewing Amortentia, are you?”

Harry gave a sly grin, “I believe that I let slip that I was brewing a _special_ version of the potion,” he glanced around conspiratorially, “Can you keep a secret, Neville?” The boy nodded, “I’m ‘brewing’ up an old family recipe for this very special day.”

“What’s the name of this recipe, if you don’t mind me asking?” Neville hesitatedly asked.

“Chicken soup.”

Neville’s eyebrows shot up, a puzzled look creeping across his face, “Ch-chicken soup? Seriously? Chicken soup; lumps of cooked chicken, vegetables and broth? How is that special or an old family recipe?”

“I never said it was an old _Potter_ family recipe,” Harry replied.

“Whose is it then?”

“Granger,” replied Harry with a smug grin.

The look on Neville’s face reminded Harry of someone who had gotten struck in the head with a club. It took the boy a few minutes to ‘reboot.’

“You said Granger. As in Hermione Granger?”

“Yup, I wrote to her parents a couple of weeks ago and asked them if it was okay to use a recipe that Hermione fondly remembers from her childhood and if they could send me her absolute favorite. They sent the chicken soup recipe,” Harry explained triumphantly.

Neville just shook his head in stunned wonder, “You’re mad, if you get just one ingredient or procedure wrong, she’ll know and blow your present and intention clear to Azkaban.”

“I know, that’s why for the past week since I let slip that Amortentia rumor, I’ve been in the kitchens practicing the recipe. I think I’ve finally stopped annoying the castle-elves. At the beginning, I had to argue my presence in their domain.”

“You’re a brave man, Harry Potter. You sure you shouldn’t have been sorted into Gryffindor?” Neville commented.

Harry shrugged, “The Hat did suggest it as an option but I convinced it to sort me to where I am now.”

* * *

##  _**In the Great Hall…** _

Hermione entered after having been ejected from the Great Library. She sat down a bit miffed as the thought of being forced out from her favorite place in the whole castle rankled her Ravenclaw senses. She glanced around to see what was available for the evening meal when a large covered bowl appeared in front of her. There was a note attached to the lid with a ribbon.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope that you’ve had a good day and will think of me with kind thoughts. I whipped up this special version of Amortentia just for you. Enjoy!_

_Harry_

She nervously looked across the table at her classmate, Padma Patil. Padma pulled her wand just in case of an emergency wherein she would have to stun Hermione and levitate her to the Infirmary. Hermione lifted the lid and the scent of the most heavenly aroma caressed her nose and overwhelmed her mind.

‘It’s chicken soup! But this smells like her Grandmother’s chicken soup! How could that be?’

“Hermione? You okay?” asked Padma worriedly.

Hermione reached for a spoon and carefully took a taste of the soup. Tears began welling in her eyes and she looked over at Padma, “Everything is just…perfect.” She glanced around the room and spotted Harry nervously standing by the doorway to the Hall. She got up and rushed up to him. She looked into his gorgeous green eyes and said, “Thank you, Harry. I love it. Would you like to join me?”

Harry let out a relieved sigh, “I would be honored, milady.” Hermione giggled at being called that.

The two of them sat down again so Hermione could serve Harry, Padma and herself some of what her Grandmother had called, ‘Liquid Love.’

“This is fantastic, Hermione! It’s like eating a bowl of warm hugs,” gushed Padma.

Hermione just nodded in happiness, “Harry, how?”

“I wrote to your parents nearly two weeks ago explaining what I had in mind. I’ve spent that past two weeks practicing in making it so that it would be perfect for today.”

Hermione gazed upon him with fresh tears. They were happy tears. She leaned into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around hers and whispered ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ again to her.

* * *

#  **Monday 24 February, 1992 Senior Healer’s Office, Saint Mungo’s Hospital**

Healer Jeremy Brenner was in a special staff meeting along with the team of Mind Healers assigned to the case of one Albus Dumbledore. The Senior Healer wanted an update on the progress to find out just what the hell was going on in that man’s mind.

“Anything new to report, Healer Thompkins?”

Healer Thompkins blinked and shook her head in exasperation, “Nothing really, sir. He’s still ranting and raving about his ‘Master Plans for The Greater Good of the Wizarding World. I can’t really make heads or tails of the whole convoluted mess.”

“Are you suggesting that we bring in a Unspeakable Mind Healer? It’s pretty drastic if we do,” the Senior Healer commented.

“I know that, sir, but it may be for the best. After all, Albus Dumbledore has some of the strongest Occulumency shielding I’ve ever seen. Perhaps there’s an Unspeakable who’d be able to slip through.”

Jeremy leaned forward, “I spent a while getting to know Mr. Harry Potter, Dumbledore’s latest source of ranting, and I was thinking that maybe we could use the boy’s history as a starting point to figure out the old man’s malady?”

The others got a puzzled look on their faces, “What do you mean, Brenner?” asked one Mind Healer.

“When I initially scanned him when he was admitted to the Infirmary at Hogwarts complaining of severe headaches centered around his scar, it registered as something incredibly…Dark. I had only heard a brief reference to it once. The readings indicated that it was an inactive Horcrux.”

There were gasps of shock from the older Healers! ‘ _The Boy-Who-Lived? Receptacle of a vile Horcrux? How could that be possible? How long had it been there?’_ Those questions and more swirled around the conference table.

Jeremy held his hands up for silence, “I’m as much in the dark as you are, if you’ll pardon the pun. As far as my scans could go, the Horcrux was in an inactive state that would only cause headaches when, according to young Mr. Potter, he was in the presence of the now ex-Professor Quirnius Quirrel. Quirrel was teaching the Defense Against the Dark Arts. I made the decision to contact the Department of Mysteries and they took Mr. Potter and apparently removed the Horcrux from his head. I’m certain of this because I scanned him again just before the holidays and it came back clear and his scar had reduced.”

“Now, Mr. Potter told me that he had that scar for as long as he could remember. It’s my guess that he received that inactive Horcrux on that fateful Halloween night and as we all know, that was the night that the Dark Lord was defeated. As to how this pertains to Dumbledore, I’m guessing that since he was the magical guardian on record, he _knew_ about the Horcrux and yet did nothing about it.” That declaration caused an uproar, many members decrying Brenner’s suggestion as blasphemous.

The Senior Healer called for quiet, “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s keep things professional and civil. We are trained professionals not wild animals in a zoo,” The others looked sheepish at his rebuke, “Brenner, I want you to coordinate with the DMLE and one of the hospital’s lawyers to find out everything you can about that night and how it relates between Dumbledore and Potter.” Jeremy nodded in acceptance.

* * *

##  _**Meanwhile in the Hogwarts Greenhouses…** _

Neville was busy repotting some flowers as he assisted Professor Sprout in Greenhouse Three where the more dangerous plants were housed. He stood up straight and stretched his back. On a tray in front of him were pots of immature Mandrakes that were being prepped by the professor to be replanted into larger containers. Neville had been given a pair of earmuffs and had them dangling around his neck, waiting for the instruction by the professor to don them when she started repotting.

He brushed his fingers over the tops of the leaves and chuckled as they quivered under his touch. He wondered why a gardener had to grasp and pull them out the way they did. Could there be another way? Something less stressful than current methods? With a burst of curiosity and determination, he prepped a larger pot. Once that was done, he picked up one of the Mandrake pots and carefully tipped it onto its side. He carefully cradled the base of the stem with one hand and tapped the outside of the pot with the other. After loosening the root ball from the pot, he slid the whole plant; dirt and all, out of the old pot and into the new one then finished it up with more soil around the edges.

The whole procedure took no more than five minutes from start to finish including the time to figure out how to accomplish what was needed. There were no deafening cries from the plants and he was amazed by how easy it was. He was startled by the sound of a person applauding in the relative quiet of the greenhouse.

“Well done, Mr. Longbottom!” exclaimed Professor Sprout, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such skill and innovative techniques in handling Mandrakes before. Was this your first time in dealing with them?”

“Y-yes, ma’am.”

“I must say that the normal procedure is to yank them out by the stalks but this method sure is quieter and doesn’t seem to harm them. What made you think of doing this way?”

Drawing on his Gryffindor courage to answer without stuttering, “Well, professor it seems that if you take a close look at the composition of the plants, the stalks and leaves could be considered the Mandrake’s hair. Imagine if I were to grab you by the hair and yank you out of your bed, what would your reaction be?”

Pomona nodded thoughtfully, “I see… interesting hypothesis. Okay, here’s what I want you to do. I’m excusing you from any other homework for the next month. I want you to research this method of transplanting seedlings with other species here then write up your findings. Do the seedlings accept what you are doing? Will they fight back if they find themselves being disturbed? What is the growth like after a such gentle transplanting? That sort of thing. If all goes well, then I think we can get your research published in the trade journal _Herbology Today_.”

“M-me? Pub-published? Wow! Thanks professor!” Neville was blushing something fierce as he stammered his reply.

“I don’t see why not, Mr. Longbottom. Imagine the benefits you could provide other gardeners and Herbologists?” She said before returning to her office leaving a bewildered Neville in her wake.


	15. Chapter 15

#  **Monday 2 March, 1992 Saint Mungo’s Hospital**

It was a bright Monday morning when Sirius Black’s Healer on Record came bustling into his room just as Sirius was finishing up his breakfast.

“Well Mr. Black? How are you feeling this morning?”

“Please, for the last time call me Sirius,” he whined, “every time someone says ‘Mr. Black’ I’m looking for my father.”

The Healer just grinned, “As you wish Mr. Black,” Sirius just stuck his tongue out and pouted, “I think that based on your reactions and from the reports I’ve read, you’re ready to be discharged.”

“That would be great! Not that I’m anxious or anything but I would like to get out of here.” Sirius commented.

So with a bit of a flurry for some last minute parchment work, Sirius was discharged into the care of Remus Lupin who had taken the day off to escort his long-time friend and brother to Sirius’ new home. The flat that was rented was small and nondescript but it fit for Sirius’ needs in the immediate term. It was relatively close to Diagon Alley and Remus was even able to get the Floo hooked up to the Network.

Sirius flopped down on the couch and let out a relieved sigh, “Ahhh! That’s much better! Thank you Moony for helping me get all this set up.” Remus just nodded.

“So, Padfoot. Have you given any more thought about having Harry spend the Easter holidays with you here or maybe chance a trip up to Hogwarts?”

“I have and I think that I’d like him to come down here so we can see if these living arrangements would be good enough for the both of us. What I’d like is for the two of us to get to know each other better and offer him the opportunity to live with me full time and get him away from those muggles.”

“Well, you do have the room available now.”

“I just wish that the Potter Manor had survived the war then there’d be no worries about space and whatnot.” Sirius groused while Remus looked pensive.

Sirius noticed his friend’s look, “Remus? What aren’t you telling me?”

Remus looked up, “Huh? Oh, I was just trying to remember the address for the Manor and realized that I can’t. You suppose that maybe it was put under a _Fidelius Charm_ and hidden away from everyone?”

Sirius shrugged, “Could be but it begs the question as to why?”

“Well, based on the revelations of Dumbledore’s madness, it could’ve been hidden away by James and Lily to keep his wrinkled hands off of it. I don’t know but with the holidays approaching, you could bring up the topic and suggest to Harry that he speak with the Goblins and find out what he can.” Remus mused to which Sirius agreed.

“In the meantime, what would you say to lunch? My treat,” Sirius asked.

“Deal and I know just the place. Then you and I can go over to Gringott’s and get your House in order.”

“Awww, Moony! Do I _have_ to?” Sirius whined again.

“Do you _really_ want the House of Black to fall into the hands of someone like Malfoy?” Remus responded with a knowing eye. Sirius just grumbled a no.

* * *

After a nice lunch at a muggle restaurant, the two men ended up at Gringott’s where Sirius with the assistance of Remus spent the rest of the day restructuring the finances and power base of the infamous Black family. Sirius took up his Lordship ring, dissolved the marriage between Bellatrix to Rodolphus Lestrange and reclaimed the dowry, reinstated Andromeda Tonks nee Black back to the family tapestry and finally sent a formal warning to Narcissa Malfoy nee Black instructing her in no uncertain terms that she either bring the Malfoy family in line with the new Black family Head or face expulsion.

“Now Bloodfang, this is a list of everything I want to have happen from Gringott’s side of things,” Sirius said as he handed over the list to his Goblin Account Manager, “I also wish for a team of cursebreakers to go through the Black family vaults and also Grimmauld Place here in London. I want it all to be either cleaned up or out. Strip it down to the bedrock if necessary.” The Goblin nodded as he looked over the list.

“This will not be cheap Lord Black,” commented Bloodfang.

“I don’t care. My family has spent long enough playing up to the family name. It’s my goal to make us move towards if not the Light then at least the Grey.”

Bloodfang nodded sagely, “I want to reiterate that if we find anything of a soul nature then our services will double in cost.”

Sirius shrugged, “It’s only money. It can be rebuilt.” Remus snorted in amusement.

Remus suggested that the Goblins coordinate with the Department of Mysteries for any items that could be used, such as books or trinkets. Bloodfang asked about the wisdom of such a suggestion.

“Knowledge, while dangerous in certain hands, can be beneficial in a war. From my time spent amongst the werewolves, there have been rumors of the Dark Lord trying to return from the land of the dead. The DoM will probably greatly appreciate any help they can get.”

* * *

#  **Wednesday 4 March, 1992 Harry’s Dorm**

“C’mon Harry! If we don’t hurry, they’ll end breakfast!” yelled Justin Finch-Fletchley.

Harry popped his head out of the bathroom, his hair still dripping water, “You do realize that our Common Room is right across the hallway from the kitchens? We can get food at just about anytime.”

“Yeah…well… get moving all the same,” grumbled Justin. Harry laughed and chucked his towel at the boy.

Harry finished getting dressed and was just about to strap his potion kitbag to his belt when there was a loud booming noise and a jarring thud that felt like the whole castle shifted on its base! He rushed out to the Common Room to see if there was any damage. He found terrified children but no apparent injuries. He pushed his way out the door into the hallway and found the area covered in floating dust and more screams from shocked and terrified children and portraits.

Harry managed to get his way up to the Great Hall where he found the source of the commotion. In a million to one shot, a muggle airplane had crashed into the roof of the castle and was now a burning hulk in the middle of the Hall! Fires were burning uncontrollably, smoke choking the air and the stench of fuel and blood filled his nose.

He spotted the Head Boy and Girl just standing there stunned and rushed over.

“We gotta get those fires out! Hey!” He slapped one of them to get them out of their stupor. The Head Boy just blankly turned to him, the right side of his face a burned and twisted mess. The Head Girl was just as messed up.

Harry grabbed his potion kitbag and pulled out a couple of pain relievers and a Calming Draughts. He forced them both down the throats of the Seventh Years and pushed them into a corner. He turned around and spotted Hermione and Neville just entering the Hall.

“Hermione! Neville! We need to get those fires out! If you know the Aguamenti Charm, then use it! Hermione, that _Glacius Charm_ you mentioned once, use it around the plane to cool the area and the metal.” Harry instructed taking charge of the immediate situation.

The three of them used the charms they learned in class to start cooling the Hall and to put out the fires. Other students of various years finally understood what they were doing and joined in to help. By the time the last fire was extinguished, the staff had managed to get into the Hall.

Madam Pomfrey began organizing relief and medical stations, commandeering nearby students and calling for the castle-elves to assist in transport.

Severus and Filius began setting up a triage station to organize the wounded and dead.

Minerva oversaw everything and ordered the castle into lockdown then sent for help from the Ministry. Amelia Bones and a huge team of Aurors and Healers arrived ten minutes later.

* * *

By general consensus, any and all able-bodied student lined up before the Headmistress and the Director of the DMLE to receive their instructions. The animosity between the Houses came to a halt during this crisis. Harry had set up a makeshift brewing station in one of the smaller classrooms just off the Great Hall in order to get the pain relievers and Calming Draughts to Madam Pomfrey sooner. He had a team of twelve assistants preparing the ingredients and tending to the cauldrons while he oversaw the production.

“Harry! Harry Potter!” came the frantic call of Remus Lupin.

Harry stuck his head out the classroom and waved to Remus, “Over here, professor! I’m fine.”

Remus raced over and grabbed Harry and drew him in with a shuddering sigh of relief, “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you again, Cub. I wish we had a way to track you but the only method I know of was lost years ago.”

“Moony! I’m fine! I’ve been holed up in here overseeing the production of pain relievers and Calming Draughts. I’m safe.”

The Weasley Twins had volunteered their services with the brewing operations and heard Harry use the name ‘Moony.’ Their heads snapped up and they looked at each other in growing wonder. They heard the lament of Professor Lupin and quickly made a decision.

“Harry? Would you allow us to run back to our dorm for a moment? We have something that could be of great help in tracking people.”

“Uh…sure. Michael? Will you keep an eye on Station Three?” Harry asked Michael Corner.

The twins rushed out of the room and returned not five minutes later. In his hands was a ratty looking old parchment. He rejoined the group and presented it to Remus.

“Oh, Great Moony of the Marauders, if you know how to operate this then we, The Weasley Twins, do hereby return what is rightfully yours,” the twins intoned.

Remus just snorted softly in amusement. He laid the parchment on a desk and pulled out his wand. Tapping the surface, he said, “I solemnly swear I am up to no good.”

Lines began appearing on the parchment, crossing and delineating rooms and boundaries. Words appeared on the top proclaiming, “Messers Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs, purveyors of magical mischief making are proud to present the Marauder’s Map!” Once it was finished filling in the pages, Harry leaned over and spotted hundreds of labeled dots. One of those dots had his name.

“This is brilliant! You came up with this Moony?” Harry exclaimed.

“Yeah along with your father, godfather and… _him._ ”

The _‘him’_ Remus alluded to, Harry knew was the betrayer of his family. The name to be never spoken of again.

Remus took the Map to Minerva and explained its importance. She gave him a weathered eye and nodded. She directed him to post it up on the bulletin board along with the other important documents.

Harry in the meantime was looking over the triage section when he heard his name being called.

“Harry? Is that you?” came the weak voice. Harry moved over and found Millie laying on a makeshift stretcher with a large bandage covering half her face and her hands.

“Millie! What happened? Are you in pain?” Harry softly exclaimed, worried for his friend.

Millie gave him a sad smile, “No, not in any pain right now. Stay with me, Harry?” Harry nodded.

Harry stayed with her until she dozed off and stroked her hair briefly before returning to his assignment. As he was passing Madam Pomfrey, he asked her what her prognosis was for Millie.

“She’ll be fine, Mr. Potter. She was found under the Slytherin tables so it looks like the damage was minimal. Just minor burns and scrapes.” Harry let out a sigh of relief.

In the end, the damage was cleaned up, the wounded were removed to Saint Mungo’s and airplane disposed of. Hogwarts was fortunate that the only death was the airplane’s pilot and they didn’t lose any of their own. Mind Healers were brought in to counsel the students and staff.

* * *

#  **Thursday 19 March, 1992 Entrance to the Great Hall**

“Harry!”

Harry looked up and spotted Millie rushing over with a large smile on her face and carrying a box. He was glad that the Healers at Saint Mungo’s were able to keep the damage to an absolute minimum. The only visible scarring was near her left ear and some slight crinkling of skin around the backs of her hands.

“Millie! How are you?” He smiled at her.

Millie just blushed a bit and handed him the thin box, “I’m fine, thank you. I wanted to present you with the early release of my first book.”

Harry opened the box and pulled out the book. It had a waving cheerful clown on the front under the title of, “Puddles the Clown and the Sad Circus.” He smiled at the antics of the animated clown and flipped through some of the pages. He glanced up and spotted the nervous dance of the larger girl.

“Mille, relax. I told you when this all got started that I’m proud of you. It’s fantastic. Will you autograph it for me?” She nodded shyly and dug into her bag for a quill.

“Has the library gotten any copies yet?”

“No, not yet. I got ten copies for my own distribution before the general release to the public. It’s part of my contract.”

Just then Hermione materialized out of the crowd and approached the duo. Harry just laughed.

“What’d I tell you Hermione? You sniff out new books like Pooh sniffs out honey.” Hermione just giggled while Millie looked confused.

“Winnie the Pooh is a character in a long running series of children’s books that can be found in the muggle world,” explained Hermione to Millie then turned back to Harry, “What book is that?”

“Millie’s first book. She gave me an autographed copy of it,” Harry announced proudly.

“Congratulations, Millie! I bet you and your parents are pleased.”

“Yup, my father has been crowing about it to all of his friends. My mother has been as well.”

Harry mused happily, “Just wait until you go into Flourish and Blott’s and get recognized by the children. Just don’t let the fame go to your head.”

“Harry! Hermione! Oh, hi Millie!” called out Neville as he ran over clutching a magazine.

The other three greeted the round-faced boy, “What’s up Neville? You look happy.”

“My article to _Herbology Today_ was published!” Neville gushed.

Hermione looked between Harry and Millie, “Wow, today seems to be quite prolific in the number of publications.”

Neville raised an eyebrow and was told about Millie’s publication. She was congratulated, as was he. The article was passed around and it was suggested by Millie that Neville autograph and frame a copy to give to Professor Sprout. Neville suggested the same to the children’s book for Professor Flitwick.

A week later, Harry received a letter in the mail from the Unspeakable, Croaker. It was a simple and short message stating that two more Horcruxes were found and destroyed bringing the total up to three. Based on the research that they had done, there should be no more than seven pieces total. Six external and the central piece residing within the wraith form of the Dark Lord that was resting in stasis within the Department of Mysteries.

Harry appreciated being kept in the loop about the whole thing but right now he had a quiz for History of Magic to study for so he got back to work.

* * *

#  **Friday 3 April, 1992 Severus Snape’s Office**

“Professor, you got a minute?”

Severus looked up and spotted Harry nervously twitching on his feet.

“Sure, Harry. What’s up?” he said pleasantly.

Harry crossed into the room and sat down. Gathering up his courage, “I need to know what was going on between you and my father. I’ve been speaking with Professor Lupin as well as my godfather and they alluded to a rather…unpleasant history.”

Severus grunted, “An unpleasant history? Is that what they’re referring to it as?” He took and released a deep breath, “yes, your father and I hated each other with a passion. He was the quintessential Gryffindor. Brave, dashing and from a wealthy family whereas I came from a poor, working-class family with an abusive father and a spiritually broken mother. We both favored a special young girl and we both pursued her. Yes, it was your mother. I thought I had an in with her since we both came from the same town but when I was sorted to Slytherin and she to Gryffindor, we just sort of drifted apart.”

Harry listened in rapture as Severus spoke of his mother. It was rare for any adult to speak of her; they usually just spoke of his father’s accomplishments.

Severus continued, “I think what really broke us apart was a day in our Fifth Year when I uttered a most hated word. Your father and his friends were harassing me and when Lily tried to intervene, I got mad at her and the public embarrassment. I ended up calling her a… ‘Mudblood.’ I tried to apologize later when I calmed down but that was the straw that broke the hippogriff’s back. I had fallen in with a bad crowd of future Death Eaters and was heading down a path that she couldn’t follow so when I uttered that hated word, it ended our friendship.”

Harry took a deep breath, “Is that why you used to look at me with such loathing last year? I’ve been told I look just like my father when he was my age but I got my mother’s eyes. You were seeing the result of your mistake every day.” Severus gulped and nodded sadly.

“I don’t blame you, Professor Snape. You’ve been a great help to me this past year. Heck, your publications in _Potioneer’s Monthly_ have helped me in the development of my own. I just hope you understand that I am _not_ my father. I don’t even know what he sounds like. Come to think of it, I don’t even remember what my mother sounds like.”

Severus looked at Harry for moment before pulling out a clean vial. He used his wand to copy several memories and loaded them into the vial. He handed it over to Harry and wished him a good day.

* * *

#  **Tuesday 7 April, 1992 Senior Healer’s Office, Saint Mungo’s Hospital**

Healer Jeremy Brenner looked around the room and thought that the assembled personnel resembled those who were going off to war. Each one had a scowl and a angry or determined air about them. The reason for such attitudes was the report he had just given regarding the mindset manipulations of one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. The former Headmaster of Hogwarts, ex-Chief Warlock and ex-Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederacy of Warlocks was a terrifying man it turned out. His manipulations and hindrances all in the name of some ambiguous ‘Greater Good’ were sickening to say the least.

_‘Albus Dumbledore is without a doubt after many months of research the most evil Dark ‘Light Lord’ in centuries. His ideal of the ‘Greater Good’ in which the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one have destroyed many lives in the century of his existence. His repeated interference in the natural course of magical history leaves this team wondering just what might have been if Dumbledore had been stopped early in life._

_From the writings of the man in his own words found in a journal hidden away in his desk at his office at Hogwarts, his nebulous fantasies began when he was but a child just after the attack of his sister by muggles. While unformed and ill conceived, his ideas of controlling the muggles for their own good were a direct result of that event. His meeting with the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindlewald during the turn of the last century solidified those thoughts and feelings into what they are today. The two young adults plotted and planned, as many teenagers were wont to do without any sort of realization. Albus believed that a quiet approach was necessary while Gellert wanted to overthrow governments, by force if necessary, before changes could be made._

_Albus Dumbledore became an educator for the sole purpose of being able to shape and influence the minds of the younger generations so that when the time came, his followers would flock to him without a thought spared as to why. It was discovered that the events surrounding the end of the Second World War were because of a preplanned time and reason created by Albus when he finally stepped in to defeat Grindlewald. Gellert was only half-heartedly attempting to combat Albus while both men threw out curses and a dazzling light show created to confuse and awe the enemy forces watching from the sidelines. Once Grindlewald was ‘defeated,’ he was remanded to the Nurmengard Prison, where he remains to this day._

_This prison was in reality a Death Camp for the political prisoners of those who would resist the Greater Good imposed by Dumbledore and Grindlewald. Grindlewald himself is not actually an emaciated, destitute, defeated wizard trapped in a grimy cell. That was done merely for distractive purposes, window dressing if you will. The man actually lives in relative high fashion with lavish meals and all the amenities awarded to kings and heads of state._

_During the late nineteen thirties, a young wizard was found in a muggle orphanage answering to the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle. Parentage was unknown at the time. The child was offered a place at Hogwarts and began his studies in September of nineteen thirty-eight. Looking back through the records held by Dumbledore and from the Wizarding Examination Authority (WEA), this team has concluded that the boy seemed to be the model student. Prefect, Head Boy, Winner of several prestigious awards and yet when the peers of his age were interviewed, all said that there was something that was ‘off’ about the young man. A closer look has revealed that Tom Marvolo Riddle is in fact Lord Voldemort. (See File #LV-TMR 911938)_

_The rise of the Dark Lord and the inaction of Albus Dumbledore despite repeated requests from high ranking members of society led to the disastrous events that culminated on Halloween nineteen eighty-one. While the Dark Lord amassed his forces and directed them to kill, Dumbledore restricted his forces and followers to Stunners and non-lethal spells and hexes. The reason? Both men were secretly communicating. Dumbledore was attempting to weed out the families that were openly opposing his Greater Good philosophy. It was Dumbledore’s plan for the Dark Lord to kill off those families then use Albus’ methods and ideas to reshape the political landscape. What Dumbledore didn’t account for was the Dark Lord’s usage of Horcruxes._

_A Horcrux is a soul container in which a person commits a cold-blooded murder as part of a Dark Necromantic Ritual then shears off part of their soul. This shard is then placed in a container of personal importance and hidden away. As long as the Horcrux is hidden then the person cannot ‘pass on’ after bodily death. A little known side effect of shearing your soul in half or more is the amount of sanity that remain within the original body and mind. With one Horcrux, the soul is split in two. With two Horcruxes, the soul is then split again in half, so that only a quarter remains untouched and so forth. With the seven part soul as has been discovered by this team, the one known as Tom Riddle or Lord Voldemort only has 1/64 th remaining of his original sanity. _

_With his now insane partner in crime so to speak, it became incredibly difficult for Dumbledore to control the situation. Families that Albus wanted to remain whole were being decimated. What Albus needed was a bit of luck, which he received in February nineteen eighty. A young descendant of the famous Seer Cassandra Trelawney, Sybil Trelawney, had applied for the post of Divination Professor at Hogwarts. While in the interview, the young applicant slipped into a trance and gave a Prophecy. It states, ‘The One to with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, Born to those who have thrice Defied him, born as the Seventh Month dies, And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not, And either must die at the Hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.’_

_According to our findings, Albus thought he hit pay dirt with this prophecy. The only problem was that it could’ve applied to two boys born at the end of July. Harry James Potter or Neville Francis Longbottom. Albus engineered the discovery of the first part of the prophecy by young Severus Snape who was in the Hog’s Head Tavern waiting for his appointed time to interview with the Headmaster for the position of either Defense Against the Dark Arts or Assistant Potion’s Master. With the application of the Imperious Curse and a Compulsion Charm, Albus setup Severus to hear the opening lines then had him thrown out of the bar wherein he reported what he heard to the Dark Lord._

_With the betrayal and murder of James and Lily Potter, both of whom resisted the early efforts to join Dumbledore’s Order of the Phoenix three times, by someone they considered a friend and the later incarceration of their true friend, Sirius Orion Black, into Azkaban without a trial; Albus was free to declare himself the guardian of Harry James Potter and place the injured toddler into the hands of his maternal aunt and uncle’s magic-hating hands and ‘care’ on the cold November first night in a small basket and only a thin blanket clutching a letter. Albus did not ring the doorbell or knock on the door to alert Petunia and Vernon Dursley to Harry’s arrival. Harry was only discovered when Petunia Dursley went out the next morning to retrieve a bottle of milk._

_Two other people accompanied Albus to the Dursley home that night, Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid. After extensive scans by the Healers here at St. Mungo’s both have been determined to be long-term victims of Memory Charms, Compulsion Charms, Loyalty Potions and other similar Alchemical concoctions. Both have since been flushed clean of such potions and charms. Both are looking to press charges against Dumbledore if the possibility presents itself._

_Albus had set up wards and enchantments designed to cause overwhelming hatred and abuse towards the boy. While we don’t know what it was that caused the wards and enchantments to fail, they did. Harry was partially raised by a muggleborn witch, Miss Belinda Honeybloom. Miss Honeybloom had been Harry’s Primary Three teacher at St. Grogory’s School in Surrey. She took pity on the downtrodden boy and gave him the introduction to magic that Albus should’ve done from the beginning. The other part of Harry’s upbringing was by his Primary Five teacher, a Squib by the name of Robert Cody. Mr. Cody now works as a manager of the printing company responsible for Mr. Potter’s Potioneer’s Assistant book._

_Neville Longbottom was brought up by his paternal grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, after the unfortunate and well-documented incident regarding Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband, brother-in-law and Barty Crouch, Jr. Information beyond that is restricted as per his grandmother’s instructions._

_In conclusion, it is the belief of the research team that the prophecy did not mention a name to the Dark Lord and in fact could have referred to either Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort or Albus Dumbledore himself. We believe that Dumbledore figured this out and engineered Harry’s final placement to keep him ignorant of the magical world and the hope that the Dursley’s would ‘beat the freakishness out of him,’ thereby rendering him incapable of wielding magic and labeled a Squib ending the Potter line. It’s been since discovered that Albus had young Harry at the tender age of eleven, use a Blood Quill to sign a document that bequeathed the Potter Family Vaults and Properties over to Albus in the event of Harry’s death. Albus then Obliviated Harry to remove the knowledge of the event. It is the belief of this team that had the Potter line been ended as Dumbledore wanted; all monies and possessions would have passed into the hands of Albus Dumbledore.’_

* * *

The Senior Healer sat back in his chair and contemplated the report. It was disturbing to say the least, damning to the worst. He glanced over at the Unspeakable in the room, the one known only as Croaker.

“So what happens now? There’s obviously no way that Albus will be getting released, not with this report.”

Croaker nodded thoughtfully, “I think young Mr. Potter will be responsible for the destruction of two Dark Lords. Once we have all of the Horcruxes, as we have contracted with Mr. Potter, they along with the primary wraith of Tom Riddle through the Veil of Death in the Department of Mysteries. If the Prophecy Orb is still lit, then we will move onto Dumbledore.”

“And how much closer are you to retrieving all the Horcruxes?” asked the Senior Healer.

“Our teams is looking at middle of next month to early June of this year at the latest,” replied Croaker.

“Let’s hope that everything works out okay…”


	16. Chapter 16

#  **Tuesday 13 April, 1992 Hogwarts Library during Independent Study Time**

“Hi Harry. Whatcha reading?” whispered Hermione as she approached their favorite Library table.

“Hmm? Oh, hi Hermione. It’s a letter I got from my godfather that I’ve been re-reading. He and I have been writing to each other to get reacquainted and he mentions that for this Easter holiday, I’m invited to spend it with him and Moony to see if living together is possible. If all goes well, he’ll contact my aunt and uncle and see about arranging it for me to move in permanently.”

“That’s wonderful! You’ll be able to live with people who actually love you,” she quietly exclaimed, “I’ve been wanting to ask you something… are you still having nightmares after that…event back in March?”

Harry gave her a penetrating stare and tilted his head thoughtfully, “Yes, sort of…why? Have you?”

“Occasionally, sometimes a word or sound will trigger the memories and I’ll have periods where I sort of…blank out. I’ve seen Madam Pomfrey for sleeping potions but I don’t want to get dependent on them,” she let out a deep sigh, “I’ve even contemplated having my memory of the event removed.”

Harry shook his head, “I thought about that as well but from what Healer Brenner told me, it doesn’t hold very well in children under the age of sixteen. Something about the way our brains are wired. The memory would creep back and make things worse over time.”

“Great,” she said sarcastically, “What do I do now?”

“Well, I would scheduled another appointment with the Mind Healers. You know that the service is free for us kids?”

Hermione just pursed her lips and nodded understandingly, “Yeah… I’ll do that,” she shook herself and pointed to his book stack on Herbology, “Homework?”

* * *

On Friday, those who wished to go home for Easter or the more traditional Spring Festivals boarded the train and headed south for London. With it being a full moon, Sirius met him at King’s Cross. As the train pulled into the station, he was practically bouncing with excess energy trying to see over the heads of the other parents and guardians. He finally spotted the famous ‘Potter Mop’ and called out.

“Harry! Over here!”

Harry spotted Sirius and let out a yelp of happiness and waved back, “Sirius! It’s good to meet you again! It’s been what… eleven years? You don’t call, you don’t write…what gives?” All was said with a giant grin on his face.

Sirius gave him a rueful grin back, “Spoken just like your father you stinker. If it wasn’t for the eyes, that response would’ve convinced me that James had come back from the dead.”

“Ha! Well, let’s get out of here before I start setting down roots, eh?”

The two of them heading for the portal and out towards the main street where they caught the local line. Harry asked why they didn’t use magical transport.

“My flat is in a muggle area,” Sirius whispered, “Besides, this just gives us that much more time together. I’m not in any rush.”

Harry agreed, “Me neither, it’s a shame that Moony is stuck in the castle until tomorrow.”

“Would’ve been too dangerous otherwise. I don’t have anything to restrain him and the neighborhood is too crowded for a Midnight Run.”

Harry raised an eyebrow, “He never told you about the prescription I put him on?”

“Prescription? No, I don’t believe so. I know that he can’t afford the Wolfsbane Potion despite my many offers to cover it.”

Harry waved his hand at the mention of the potion, “Nah, the Wolfsbane Potion is old news and nowhere near as effective as the treatment he’s getting from me. No, the medicine I’ve set him to is called Benadryll. It only costs two Sickles and comes with a pain reliever built in. One pill taken with a glass of water and he’s right as rain after the transformation.” Sirius just goggled at him in disbelief.

Harry snorted in amusement, “I’ll show you everything when we get to your place.”

* * *

After they arrived and stored Harry’s gear in his new room, the two of them sat down on the couch and Sirius was introduced to the _Potioneer’s Assistant_ along with the other inventions of Harry’s from the past school year. To say that Padfoot was impressed would have been an understatement.

“Wow, Pup! All this is incredible! You’ve totally blew any accomplishments of record that your mum and dad ever came up with!” Exclaimed Sirius as he played with the _Student’s Helper_ by making it fly around the flat, “Just think of what we could’ve done with this!”

Harry was pleased that Sirius was happy. He brought him up to speed with everything that had happened, even stuff that never made the papers. Sirius had been nearly frantic with worry when the airplane had crashed into Hogwarts but relied on Moony to give him updates and to take care of Harry. The antics of the Weasley and Malfoy boys had him in stitches as he fell off his seat from laughing so hard. He was proud of Harry for the non-violent and decidedly Marauder-ish ways of retaliation that he undertook to prank the Weasley Twins and anyone else that crossed his path.

“I’m a little concerned with your relation with Snivellus though,” Sirius commented after one humorous story.

“Who?”

“Sniv…er, Severus Snape. Back in our day, your father and I used to call him Snivellus because of his whiny attitude.”

“Oh, yeah… I asked him about that and after a rather heart to heart discussion about it, I’ve gotten him to realize that I’m _not_ my father and that he shouldn’t treat me as such. Whatever happened between the two of them and you is best left in the past. He’s been a tremendous help this school year and in years past, though he didn’t know he was corresponding with me.”

“Ha! I bet that stuck in his craw when he found out.”

“Yeah, we had a good laugh over that. But Sirius, please, let whatever animosity you have for him go. It’s not healthy,” Harry pleaded.

Sirius sighed, “Ok, Pup. For you, I’ll let it go. But I warn you, if he tries anything in my presence, I’ll respond in kind.”

“Deal. So…what’s for dinner?”

* * *

#  **Monday 20 April, 1992 Flourish and Blott’s Bookstore, Diagon Alley, London**

Millicent Bulstrode and her family were walking up the Alley towards the bookstore to do a bit of shopping and to enjoy the spring air. It was a beautiful day for the outing and Millie was anxious to see how the sales of her new book were doing. As they approached the store, Millie could see a banner over one of the windows proclaiming the new book was in stock and stacks of the books in the display. Crowds of young children were gathered in the entranceway, all of them clamoring to get in.

“Oh, look mother! Look at the crowds. You think I should let the proprietor know that I’m here? I could do a bit of book signing and a public relations.”

Mrs. Bulstrode nodded in agreement and turned to her husband to get his view. Mr. Bulstrode gave his permission so Millie ran ahead and shouldered her way in. She got up to the cashier desk and asked to speak with the manager.

“He’s rather busy, miss. All these kids wanting the new children’s book, you know,” commented the harried sales witch.

“Yes, I’m glad to see that so many children want to buy my book,” Millie replied happily.

That caught the sales witch’s attention, “You? You’re Millie B?” She looked Millie up and down for a moment then called out for the manager, “Frank! I need you up at the cashier’s desk like NOW!”

The manager, Frank Blott, came up from the back stockroom and spotted Millie and her parents, “Mister and Missus Bulstrode, what a surprise! This must be young Millicent, right? What brings you here today?”

Millie replied, “I thought that I could hold an impromptu book signing since I’m here for my new book.”

Frank raised an eyebrow in puzzlement, “New book? You? What’s the title?”

Millie smirked, “Puddles the Clown and the Sad Circus.” Frank’s jaw nearly hit the floor in shock.

“Seriously? You’re the author of that story? Well…yeah, let me get a table set up and a set of quills and ink for you to work with.” He hurried away and began to get things set up for the sudden event.

The sales witch in the meantime hurried over to the crowd and explained that if they lined up nice and neat without any pushing or other misbehavior, they’d get to meet and have their book autographed by the author herself who was standing up at the cashier’s desk. When everyone looked over at the Bulstrodes, Millie waved.

“Ok, tables, chairs, quills, ink…extra books. Alright, Miss Bulstrode if you will?” Frank huffed as he got everything ready. Millie sat down and beamed out a huge smile at the assembled crowd. One by one, the children moved up and thanked her for writing such a fun story and walked away with an autographed copy of the book.

After four hours of signing, the crowds had thinned and Millie was tired. The Bulstrodes left the Alley happy and proud of their daughter.

* * *

At the end of the week Harry, Hermione, Neville and Millie had found each other and were steaming north back to the castle. They spent the time catching up with the results from their holidays.

“I think we’re all agreed that our parents or guardians are incredibly pleased with our accomplishments. I know mine are thrilled to have a published author in the family even though no one outside of my immediate family will ever read or even hear about the articles.” Hermione gushed.

“Yup, Gran’s practically over the moon. She’s been crowing to all the family members who thought I was going to be just a Squib,” agreed Neville.

“Same here with my parents except for the Squib part,” said Millie.

“Well, Sirius and I have agreed that living together shouldn’t be too much of a hassle, especially since we’ll only be living together for two months during the summer and the major holidays. I’ve agreed to move in with him and so he’s going to speak with my aunt and uncle to get the guardianship parchment work dealt with. I don’t think there’ll be any problems since they don’t like me all that much and they can finally get away from the magical world’s interference with their ‘normal’ lives.”

There were congratulations all around, each wishing Harry the best. Millie looked up in time to spot Draco approaching the door with a determined look on his face.

“Harry? Malfoy’s approaching,” she warned.

The door slid open and before Draco could get a word out, Harry twisted in his seat holding up a vial of something glowing purple, “Ah! Draco, just in time. You see, I have this new potion I’ve been meaning to try out on someone deserving. Care to be my test subject?”

Draco’s face paled and he took a step back, “Uh…what will it do to me?”

Harry held the bottle up to his eye and gave it a brief shake, “I have no idea, really. Testing has shown that it renders the subject unable to speak for several hours and causes the person’s hair to turn bright red… almost Weasley red… and gives them a mess of freckles, want to try it?”

Draco’s face now turned a sickly green and his eyes bulged. He quickly turned and bolted for the nearest exit while the others in the compartment laughed uproariously.

Hermione gave Harry a curious look, “Harry? What does that potion actually do?”

“Hmm? Oh, it cleans your hands. It’s just liquid soap.” Neville and Millie let out snorts of amusement.

“Soap? Then why is it glowing?” Hermione asked.

“I designed it for people who work in low light areas like mines and camera dark rooms. It glows just bright enough to see it without damaging anything.”

Hermione just gave him an bemused look then turned back to the others. Neville had pulled out a deck of Exploding Snap and was playing a round with Millie.

* * *

#  **Friday 1 May, 1992 Potions Classroom, Dungeons A15**

Harry walked into class with a smug grin on his face and a large ceramic mug in his hands. He strode up to Professor Snape who was watching with a raised eyebrow and a sardonic smirk on his face.

“What’s with this attitude, Mr. Potter? Last time I saw that look, your father was in the process of pranking someone.”

“Professor, I have just completed an improvement to the Wide Eye Potion. I’d like you to try it.”

“Oh? Fine, give it here,” Snape replied. He then waved his wand over the liquid and frowned, “Mr. Potter? This appears to be ordinary coffee… wait, I get it. Coffee…Wide Eye Potion. Ha Ha.”

“Yeah, you’d might think it was ordinary coffee but it’s not. Try it.”

Severus sighed but took a sip of the apparent coffee; his look of surprise and pleasure shocked everyone.

“Mr. Potter! What kind of blend is that? It’s fabulous!”

“It’s a blend of Guatemalan and Jamaican with a touch of honey chocolate thrown in to smooth things out. Goes great with biscuits or lightweight scones. I think of it as the drink of choice for those who are either too young or don’t like the taste of alcohol.”

“Most impressive. Will you be sharing this recipe with the castle-elves?” Snape asked and Harry nodded.

“I look forward to having it at dinner then. Ten points to Hufflepuff.”

* * *

The next day, Harry stopped by the Infirmary to see Madam Pomfrey and to find out if there were any potions that she needed made.

“No, I think I’m pretty well stocked up, Mr. Potter though thank you for asking,” she replied.

“It’s my pleasure. I’ve been wanting to ask you if Hogwarts has a policy about lacing the food and drinks with Calming Draughts to the students without their knowledge?”

Her eyebrows rose and a scowl slowly appeared on her face, “Mr. Potter, that’s a very serious accusation. Do you know who it is that has been doing that?”

Harry raised his hands quickly in supposition, “No! You misunderstand me! I was wondering for those who suffer from OWL or NEWT exam stresses or for those like Hermione that get stressed out regardless of what test they’re studying for, if the school would lace their food and drinks with the Draughts to calm them down. Nothing heavy, just enough to soothe the nerves.”

Poppy paused thoughtfully, _‘It would make sense to do that. Heaven knows it would cut down on the number of patients I see at the end of every year.’_

“Well, I don’t know if it would be legal or even should be done but it is something to think about. I’ll tell you what, I’ll run this past the Headmistress and see what she says. If she’s in agreement then we might just do that.”

“Thank you, ma’am. That’s all I can ask for.”

* * *

Once Harry left, he decided to swing by the Owlery to see what Hedwig was up to. When he walked into the circular room, he heard loud squawks and shrieks of owl anger. Looking up, he spotted Hedwig in a full out argument with one of the school owls over who knew what. A mournful hoot from his left caused him to turn. The owl was one of the older school owls that could no longer go on the distance journeys but handled the intra-school deliveries. Harry made a motion towards the two arguing owls and made a hand gesture asking if they were physically fighting. The old owl shook its head negatively.

Nodding his head, Harry grabbed his _Assistant_ and turned to the ‘Communications’ page. In it he wrote, ‘ _Hermione. Need you in the Owlery. Hedwig is having a loud argument with another owl. Worried that it might devolve to physical blows. Need your translation skills. Harry.’_

He received a response a moment later, _‘On my way. Don’t interfere. Hermione.’_

When Hermione arrived, both owls were no longer screaming at each other and had moved to opposite sides of the room, occasionally huffing at each other and giving baleful glares.

“When did this happen?” She asked, gesturing to the display.

“Just a couple of moments ago. I think Hedwig spotted me and didn’t want her chick to see her fighting.” Harry chuckled at the last bit.

Hermione motioned for Hedwig to join her and the two girls quietly discussed what had happened. Once she was done with Hedwig, Hermione heard the other side of the argument from the other owl. Finally, she turned to Harry and recommended that he take Hedwig back to his room so that way everyone could get some space and cool off for a while.

“Was it anything serious?” Harry asked worriedly.

“Spring time territorial issues. They were fighting over the best places to sit and roost. Also, it seems that there’s a new male owl in the area that all the females have been trying to get the attention of. Hedwig naturally thought of herself as the winning choice and Lula, the other owl, disagreed.”

“Well, okay. If you’re sure. Come my lady, we shall go roost elsewhere where the plebs cannot follow!” he announced to soothe Hedwig’s nerves. Hedwig nuzzled his head and preened his hair a bit.

* * *

#  **Monday 4 May, 1992 Charms Classroom 2A**

Professor Flitwick had stopped handing out new material to be learned and instead focused on review of some of the things that would be on the end of year exam. Charms like the Levitation charm, Color changing, Locomotor and its variants, Lumos and others were covered.

Harry raised his hand and when called upon asked the diminutive professor if the final exam would be just written, practical or a combination of the two.

“It will be a combination, Mr. Potter. Thank you for asking. Plan on it being a seventy / thirty split between written questions and practical.”

“Will we be given extra credit for coming up with our own ideas?” Harry asked with a bit of cheekiness.

Filius gave him a similar smirk, “No, Mr. Potter. You’ve already come up with a host of wonderful ideas. It’s time to let the others get their ideas in.” Harry grinned in response.

One of the other Ravenclaws asked what Harry meant about extra credit ideas.

“Well, if instead of the usual things like making your pencil case tap dance, you make it dance the tango with your quill or like with my target drone that I used back in the early days. Something like that…”

That got the other students whispering and murmuring about the possibilities. Flitwick gave him a reproachful look, “Mr. Potter…these children are First Years, asking them to come up with new materials and ideas is better left off to those studying for their NEWTS.”

“Respectfully, I disagree sir, but it should _at least_ be an option.”

Flitwick let out a sigh, “Fine. If anyone can come up with something different but within the same general idea of what you have learned, then you have my permission. But! You must still study like normal for the test. This is just extra credit; it will not take the place of the regular exam. Is that clear?” The class agreed.

* * *

At Morning Tea, Harry received a letter from Croaker.

_Mr. Potter;_

_I am pleased to inform you that all of the items we discussed have been retrieved and are ready to be disposed of. It was surprising to say the least that one of the items resided there in the castle. At your next opportunity (preferably Saturday), I would like it if you were to come to the DoM to finalize any parchment work and to see to some other ‘details.’_

_I shall be expecting you soon,_

_Croaker_

Harry let out a quiet yelp of happiness! It was nearly over! Oh, if he didn’t care about making a spectacle of himself, he’d get up on the table and dance for joy. He got up and raced over to Headmistress McGonagall and gave her the great news. To her credit, she gave no outward appearance of being as close to dancing on the table like Harry had been but she did give a rare smile of joy.

“That is indeed wonderful news, Mr. Potter. This Saturday, come see me in my office and I shall let you use my Floo to go to the meeting.”

It was a tense week for Harry. He could barely concentrate on anything and had actually _lost_ points as a result for his inattentiveness. In Friday’s potions class, he requested that he sit the practical side out, as he just couldn’t concentrate. When asked why, he quietly responded that the matter between him and the Dark Lord was going to be finally resolved the next day.

“Truly, Mr. Potter?” Severus asked with a hint of wonder in his voice, “You’re not just making that up?”

“Honestly professor. I contracted with the Department of Mysteries to act as my hand to hunt down and destroy whatever it was that has been keeping the Dark Lord alive. I received a letter on Monday telling me that all the pieces had been found and destroyed. All that’s left is for me to go in and finish whatever parchment work they have.”

Severus stared at him in glassy-eyed wonder, ‘ _this whole mess could be over soon. I will never have to worry about my old masters coming back to haunt and torture me.’_

* * *

The next day, bright and early, Harry got up and went through his usual morning routine. After grabbing a quick breakfast, he raced up to the Headmistress’ office and was let in to use the Floo.

Upon arrival in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, Harry hurried up to the security desk and asked to speak with Unspeakable Croaker. Word was sent on and Harry impatiently waited by the large golden fountain, pacing nervously.

“Mr. Potter?” Croaker called out, “We’re ready for you, if you’d follow me.”

Harry followed the Unspeakable into one of the lifts and down into the bowels of the Ministry. After exiting a spinning room, the two entered a large subterranean amphitheater that contained a large-ish, crumbling arch with a tattered curtain blowing in a non-existent breeze.

“What you see here is the infamous Veil of Death, Mr. Potter. Living things go through and are never seen again. Items like the Horcruxes are tossed in and the living essences contained within are separated from their containers. The essences are banished and we keep the containers.” Croaker explained.

Harry gazed upon some of the collected containers, gasping in shock when he spotted the Diadem of Ravenclaw and the Chalice of Hufflepuff.

“What will happen with these items? Will you return them to the school or just keep them here?” he asked Croaker.

“What would you do with them?”

Harry thought for a moment, “I’d make identical copies of them and keep the originals safe and give the copies to the school. Let the Headmistress and the senior staff know that they are just copies but don’t tell the students, they don’t need to know.”

“Very insightful, Mr. Potter. We will discuss it later. In the meantime, what we would like you to do is to throw each one of the items into the Veil. If we are lucky, then the container will appear on the other side cleansed. My colleague will retrieve them for you.”

One by one and wearing protective gloves, Harry threw each of the Horcruxes into the Veil of Death. There was no screaming or flashing lights or any noise whatsoever. Just a clang of metal or a thump of parchment in the case of a diary. The snake was levitated and tossed through and not seen again. Finally the petrified body of former Professor Quirrel was brought forth and pushed through.

Croaker held up a mirror that showed a prophecy orb. This orb was the one that started the whole mess between Harry and the Dark Lord. According to procedure, if the prophecy was fulfilled then it would go dark. Unfortunately, it remained lit.

Harry was upset, it seemed like his life would never be normal. They took a break to ponder what else could be causing the orb to remain lit. Harry had just taken a sip of his tea when suddenly he had an idea.

“Croaker? What about Dumbledore? Could he be the Dark Lord of the Prophecy? I mean given all the manipulations that he utilized and stuff…”

Croaker gave a moue of thoughtfulness, “Possible.” He turned to one of his colleagues and requested that the old man be brought to the room. Half an hour later, Albus Dumbledore stumbled into the room, curiosity and wonder crossing his face. When he spotted Harry, anger and rage became the dominant expressions.

“Harry Potter, you ungrateful brat! What have you done to me! Why have you been so disobedient? After everything I’ve ever done for you and this is how you repay me?” he roared as he advanced menacingly on the boy.

Harry backed up and behind Croaker, the Unspeakable merely waved his hand and Dumbledore was frozen in place.

“Albus Dumbledore, you have been brought before the Veil of Death because of a given Prophecy,” Croaker intoned, “You shall be cast through and beyond as penance of your earthly misdeeds. May whatever god you believe in have mercy on your soul.”

With that, Harry was urged to step behind Albus and with a gleeful smile, pushed the old goat through the Veil.

* * *

##  _**In between here and there…** _

Albus opened his eyes and glanced around the area in which he landed rather heavily. _‘If this is Hell, then it’s not as warm as I thought it would be.’_ He sat up and wondered about how his eternity would be spent when he heard another voice.

“Oh, my head… wha-what’s going on? Who’s here?”

“Tom? Tom Riddle?” Albus inquired.

“Albus? Where are you? I can hear you but can’t see you.” Tom replied, worry evident in his voice.

Just then a mirror materialized out of the ether. Albus approached the mirror and saw to his shock and horror, Tom’s face pushing out of the back of his head just like he had been when Tom was possessing Quirrel!

“What the…?” Albus gasped, “ _Why?”_

_‘The why should be obvious Albus Wulfric Dumbledore.’_

“Who said that?” yelled out Albus.

‘That is neither here nor there. All that matters is that your punishment for being, as it has been so eloquently said in your previous life, a two-faced bastard is that you spend eternity with Tom Marvolo Riddle as your eternal companion…’

* * *

##  _**Back in the Veil of Death room…** _

Croaker and Harry let out a sigh of relief and joy when the orb finally went dark with the banishment of Dumbledore. It was finally over and now Harry could live free of the hassle of being _The-Boy-Who-Lived_! With some minor completion of parchment work signifying that the Department of Mysteries had successfully completed the agreed upon contract, Harry was taken back to the castle.

Before he left, Harry inquired of Croaker where the Diadem was found in the castle.

“There is a room on the seventh floor opposite a tapestry of an idiot warlock trying to teach Trolls to dance. Pass in front of the wall three times and think about what you’d like to have the room appear as. On the third pass, a door should appear and inside will be laid out exactly as you requested. What we found was a sort of ‘lost and found’ containing nearly a millennium worth of junk and potential treasure.”

“Anything in there that could help the school?” Harry asked.

“Possibly. I would recommend you not go in there alone as there were vials of dangerous potions way past their expiration dates and other things that just felt…off.”

“So when I want to find the lost and found room what should I ask for?”

“Ask for the Room Where Everything Is Hidden.” Croaker replied. Harry thanked him for his help and wished him well before disappearing into the Floo Network.

When Harry stepped out in the Headmistress’ office, Minerva just gave him a curious glance. Harry nodded and held up the darkened orb. She let out a sigh of relief and another large grin.

“Headmistress, there was another topic of discussion that I think might help the school.”

So Harry explained what the Unspeakable team found in the castle. To her credit, Minerva wasn’t too surprised that there was a hidden room full of treasures. The castle was full of surprises. She agreed to discuss the topic with the other senior staff and organize a ‘field trip’ to this room and see what would be done about it. Harry was excused to go back to his House.


	17. Chapter 17

#  **Monday 11 May, 1992 Great Hall**

The _Daily Prophet_ should’ve come with a health warning. In large bold letters, it announced the death of Albus Dumbledore. It covered his public life story and only touched upon some of the madness that had taken his mind before his death. There was no mention as to the cause of his demise nor for the reason of his madness. Harry put down the paper and thought about what his life would’ve been like if Dumbledore hadn’t fallen into believing his own hype or that nebulous ideal of ‘The Greater Good.’

There was also no mention of the finalization of the prophecy between him and the so-called ‘Dark Lord.’ _‘Eh, whatever. It’s over and I can just concentrate on living my life.’_ He glanced up at the Teacher’s Table and caught the eye of Severus. Severus raised his goblet in appreciation and both nodded their heads.

Harry wrote a letter to Sirius explaining the behind the scenes information the newspaper wasn’t given as to the demise of Dumbledore and Voldemort. He explained that it was all over and no one would ever have to worry about it again. He told Padfoot that he was looking forward to seeing him again in a month and hoped that the guardianship papers had come through.

* * *

#  ** Epilogue **

Harry passed his exams with flying colors. He either got Outstandings or in the case of History of Magic, an Exceeds Expectations. He agreed with that last score as he felt that he exceeded expectations for not falling asleep during the teacher’s boring monologue!

He joined Hermione, Neville and Millie in the courtyard to just sit and talk while waiting for everyone to finish with their preparations to leave for the summer.

“I want to thank everyone here for being such wonderful friends and I hope that we could all meet up this summer and do stuff together.” Harry started.

“I think my parents want to take me on a trip to Spain for at least the beginning of the break,” replied Hermione, “I’ll owl you if things change or if we get back in time to meet up later. At the very least, I’ll see you when it’s time to get our supplies for next year.”

“I know that Gran usually has some sort of ‘high class society party’ thing that she holds every year. I’ll see if maybe you could get an invitation for it. Millie? Your parents usually get that invitation too, don’t they?”

“Yup, I think this year I’ll actually get to go. Last year, they thought I was still too young to attend. Realistically, I think they just want to show me off to all the other families that their daughter is a published and highly acclaimed author,” Millie said with a smirk.

Eventually, as with all good things, their time in the courtyard came to an end and they bundled up with their trunks and stuff and boarded the train to go home.

* * *

##  **_In a country field outside Devon near the small village of Ottery St. Catchpole…_ **

A small girl with dirty blonde hair and silvery blue eyes was crying softly over the recent loss of her mother. She sat despondently by the grave and wished over and over again for her mother to come back to her. Her father was grieving as well in his own way and barely had time for her.

Suddenly, there was a unearthly song of joy that filled the air and a burst of flame above the grave marker. Fawkes arrived in spectacular form and gazed upon the small girl. The two of them locked eyes and her soul was weighed.

### ‘I sense great sadness within you, young one. Why the tears?’

“My mother died recently from an experiment that went wrong,” the girl replied, “I miss her greatly. I wish she would come back.”

### ‘Do you recognize what I am?’

“Yes, you’re a phoenix. Are you here to give me a message from my mother?” she said hopefully.

‘No, unfortunately not, young one. However, I am here because you have a great need for someone to guide you to your greatest potential. I sense purity in your soul and I would like to become your familiar. That is my greatest wish if you would allow me.’

“I think I would like that. You can help me find all the wondrous creatures that haven’t been discovered yet. What’s your name?” she pondered out loud.

‘My name used to be Fawkes however I’ve had many names over the millennia. What name would you like to give me?’

“That name is fine with me. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Luna Lovegood.”


End file.
